Amazing Catch
by keep austin wierd
Summary: Edward is a rookie QB for the Seahawks and Bella is working at the team for a journalism job in Seattle. Billy, the head coach, soon promotes her to assistant head coach. Edward is immediately attracted to Bella. Is Bella his 'amazing catch?
1. Chapter 1: Before the Game

Chapter One: Before the Game

EPOV

"Edward, Coach wants us in another fifteen minutes!" Jasper called through the flat that we shared. I sighed, knowing that Coach would kill us if we were late.

"Coming Jasper, meet you downstairs in the car," I called back. Jasper was like the brother I never had. He was the TO to my Romo. He was my favorite receiver to my quarterback. Not that I'm as popular as Romo yet. This is only my first pro game. Jasper has been playing for a year now and started dating my twin sister Alice during the off season.

"Really Edward, we need to go meet Emmett out front before we check in with Coach!" That sent me sprinting out the door and into the car. Emmett was a huge linebacker and captain of the defense like I'm the captain of the offense. He's also my brother and married to Jasper's twin sister Rosalie.

"I'm here. Let's go before Coach gets really mad," I said as I swung into the Volvo's driver's seat. Jasper rolled his eyes and started driving towards the Seattle Seahawk's stadium. I was more nervous than I would ever admit. There has been a lot of talk about me since I'm a twenty-two year old rookie who didn't play for an impressive team. I went to Duke, which has a great basketball team and academics but a pretty sucky football team, they were even on the list of the 100 worst sports teams ever. There's a lot of pressure and hype around me right now.

"Dude, you need to calm down. You're going to crash into a wall or something the way your bouncing," Jasper said calmly, calming me in the process. I took a couple deep breathes as I pulled into a reserved parking spot.

"You ready for your first game, rookie?" Emmett boomed over the parking lot as soon as he saw us. It was my turn to roll my eyes.

"No, I don't think I'll ever be ready to make a fool of myself." I kept walking straight through the side door of the huge stadium and into the home locker rooms.

"Cullen, get over here!" Coach yelled over all the noise. Coach's real name was Billy Black, but to us he was just 'Coach'. As soon as I got within five feet of him, he started yelling at the same volume as when I was on the other side of the locker room. "This is a big day, so don't screw up. My best friend's daughter is here to get experience for a journalism job and I've assigned her to be your personal assistant. She's great at chess and even kicks my butt which I hope makes her a good strategist for you."

"Yes, Coach. Where is she, Coach?" I said, sounding like I was in the military.

"Hey Billy, Charlie said to tell you thanks for the front row tickets and that he owes you a couple of fishing trips," a beautiful, female voice said from behind me. What was a girl doing in the locker room? I turned around and froze. She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Her long brown hair flowed down her back freely, curling softly as it fell. Her brown eyes are like whirlpools that drag you in and you never come out. Her features were defined and endearing at the same time and she was the perfect height, in my opinion.

"Tell Charlie that I'll hold him to that," Coach said in a kind voice. He must not like us very much. "Bella, this is Edward and he's a rookie too. Help him with strategy as much as you can, which will force you to do research and help with your profession. Edward, keep Bella with you at all times during games and practices and exchange cell numbers. Get to know each other as you change, Edward. Bella, I made you your own jersey and badge so that you've got as much clearance as I do."

"Thanks Billy, I owe you. Where's Jake?" she asked after hugging Coach and sliding on a jersey and badge. Jake was the second in command on defense and Emmett's right hand man.

"He's coming, but remember your job," Coach warned before waving us off. I walked over to my locker with Bella following behind me.

"So, I've heard about you, the new guy from Duke who is supposed to be the next big quarterback. I went to Yale myself, but I thought about Duke," she said in the angel-like voice, trying to break the ice. She's smart, really smart. I threw off my shirt, tugged on my jersey, and took off the sweats that I'd put on over the spandex pants.

"So, I've heard about you, the new journalism major who wants experience in sports before she starts her first job," I responded in kind, smiling at her so she knew I was joking.

"Actually, I'm taking a year off from everything so I could help out Billy with you. And I need to know everything about the Seahawks because I'm the official Seahawks reporter for the paper here," she explained to me. I guess that makes sense. Something behind my shoulder caught her attention because she suddenly screamed and took off in a sprint that rivaled my own.

"Jake, I haven't seen you for over six months," Bella cried, jumping into his hug energetically.

"Bella, I've missed my honorary little sis. You didn't call nearly as often as you said you would," Jake accused as he pulled her at arms length. "You look way too tan. There's too much sun in Connecticut, that's what I've always said."

"You didn't even know where Connecticut was before you came to visit me at Yale over Christmas," Bella accused right back, laughing at him.

"Bella and Jake, I love you both but will send you out on the field with no pads if you don't get to work!" Coach yelled at them and they jumped apart, Bella back to where I was ready to go and Jake to start getting ready.

"So don't you need to warm up?" Bella asked me as she leaned up against the lockers. I noticed how good she looked, even in the blue-gray of her jersey.

"Yeah I guess, let's go," I said, realizing as I spoke that I really needed to. I was stiff and I slept weird on my arm, so I had to work that out before I could throw anything.

"Are you nervous?" she asked, looking up at me from under her lashes.

"Yes, very. I'll have to get over it though and play the best game of my life tonight." My short career couldn't handle a bad game tonight.

"I've never seen you play before, so I don't know how good you are. If what they say about you on the NFL channel is true, then you should be great." I smiled down at her and she smiled back. I guess everything will just have to turn out alright. I pushed it out of my mind as I stepped into the stadium.

BPOV 

Wow, the stadium was huge from the field. TV cameras were being set up and the opponent's QB was warming up on the other side of the field. Every line on the field was perfectly straight and crisp, contrasting nicely with the grass. There were a lot of TV journalists off to one side, but they had to stay in a designated area so they don't mess up the athletes.

"Bella, can you toss me that football?" Edward's smooth voice said from the ground at my feet. He was stretching on the grass and looking up at me.

"Sure, where is it?" He pointed with his free hand over to the water cooler and towels. I picked up the football and passed it to him like it was a basketball. I was the tomboy growing up, so I was one of the best at all different sports. Basketball has always been my favorite and I've played it since elementary school. Football, however, is my favorite to watch and study. I loved to just chill and figure out what to do with different situations.

"Nice chest pass. Too bad it was a football and not a basketball," he teased, smirking slightly. "Can you catch a few?" he asked and I nodded, even though I wasn't too sure I could catch the passes he threw. By now, the rest of the team was stretching and the stadium was filling up. The first throw was an easy catch, even though I was almost ten yards away and tossed it back.

"Go long!" Edward called and really used his arm, throwing it way down the field. I started sprinting and those years in football came back. I judged how fast I needed to go to get to where the ball would land. My legs moved effortlessly as I kept sprinting. I turned back and caught it perfectly at just the spot I thought it would hit.

"I may be out of a job," a blonde man said from the sidelines, a Seahawk football player. "I've worked years to develop that kind of skill. Do you play football?"

"I played for a couple years in junior high but I watch it and strategize obsessively," I explained while I blushed at his compliments. To change the subject, I asked "What position do you play?"

"I'm a receiver and Edward's second in command on offense. The name's Jasper, by the way," he said, sticking out his hand.

"Well, I'm Bella and I'm Edward's consultant so I can learn more about the Seahawks for my journalism job next year," I explained, shaking his hand. Edward came up behind us and stared at me, dumbstruck.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a sports genius? Billy never mentioned, he said you were good at chess!" Edward said, sounding exasperated.

"I'm not a sports genius, but I do love it. Watching, playing, and strategizing." Billy never explained why he paired me with Edward specifically, but I was OK with that. Edward sighed and I handed him the football.

"Go long again," Edward told me. I took off running and I knew that he was testing me now. He threw it to the other side of left side of the field while I was running on the right, making me cross the field. Edward threw it so long that it will land right in the middle of the opponents warm up. Must be a sixty yard throw and he didn't even break a sweat. I kept running and jumping over people stretching on the ground. The ball landed directly in my arms and I slowed to a stop.

"Who are you?" the opponents head coach asked from directly in front of me as the whole Seahawk's team was clapping and whistling, having just watched that catch.

"Edward Cullen's assistant but I'm really just learning about the Seahawks for my journalism job that starts next year," I explained again.

"I've never seen the likes of this before. You could play with the boys, you could," the coach said and all the players who'd congregated around us nodded.

"Thank you, but I'd better get back," I said and, turning my back on them, started the long run back to where the whole team was waiting for me.

"Who's that?" "What's she doing here?" "She's almost better than you, Whitlock!" All the players were talking at once.

"Break it up, break it up! Bella, why were you showing off?" Billy yelled as he walked over to the team.

"But Billy, I wasn't showing off, I was helping Edward warm up," I said with an innocent smile. Billy rolled his eyes before yelling some more.

"Bella is here to get to know the Seahawks and help out, not to play football! If you have a strategy question or want to converse about football tactics, talk to her. But don't bother her and get distracted from what you're paid to do!!" Billy started to walk away but I ran after him.

"Billy, wait!" I called as I caught up to him. "You never told me I was going to be a strategist!" Billy stopped and sighed before turning around to face me.

"I didn't want to tell you until later in the season, but I want to hire you as the assistant head coach. The second in command of the whole team so you could take over when I retire. I was going to ease you into it as Edward's assistant. Remember when we watch football with Charlie and you would always explain what you would've done if you were the head coach of a certain team? Well, you were always right.

"I know you want to do journalism, but I really want you to try this for me. You're like a daughter to me and I want you to give it a shot. Just stay by me and Edward and always share your opinions and next moves. If you don't like it, then you can continue on to the paper. Just try it, OK?" Billy looked at me and I could tell he wanted me to. But this is really fast. I never expected this at all, but I realized that I really do want to be involved in sports. I just…never thought about coaching before.

"I'll do it under two conditions: I get to back out anytime I want and I get to address the team at half time." Billy shook my hand and nodded while smiling widely.

"Really, I've got a lot of faith in you. I've been thinking about this since you were a kid and I know that I'll love working with you." I didn't have as much faith in myself, but as long as he's happy, I'll give it a try.

Now I've got to think about what I'm going to tell the team.

* * *

**AN: I know that this is confusing for some people who don't understand football, but I don't plan on having anything football-related important to the plot. **

**I know that a lot of stuff isn't realistic, but I figure it doesn't have to. For the record, I get a little help from my brother, even though I know most of the stuff without him.**

**FUNFACT: My brother's 11 and he's still afraid of the dark and wears Rescue Hero underwear.**

**Thanks for reading and I like reviews, Emma**


	2. Chapter 2: The Game

Chapter Two: The Game

EPOV 

I made myself focus on the game. I was standing on the sidelines and waiting for my time to play. The coin toss determined that we would kick off so our defense was out on the field. Bella was next to me, looking out over the field and making marks on her clipboard.

"What are you doing?" I asked Bella, neither of our eyes leaving the field.

"I'm working on a few plays that will play to our strengths on defense and trick plays for offense," she explained, all the while watching and marking. I glanced over at her clipboard quickly, but I only saw a bunch of lines that didn't make sense. That woman never ceases to amaze me and I've only known her a couple of hours. I turned around in time to see Emmett make an amazing interception and run it to their forty-five.

"Cullen and Swan, get over here!" Coach yelled over the rest of the team. "Cullen, here's an earpiece that Bella will be talking into. Listen to her because she is always right. She has my authority to do whatever she wants. Now get out there and play some football!"

"You're going to be fine, Edward," Bella said to me after we were out of earshot. She put on a head piece and switched it on. "Testing," she said into the mouthpiece. I hear it from the earpiece in my ear and gave her the thumbs up. "Now, before you get out there, I want you to know that you're going to really need to trust Jasper. I already talked to him and the rest of the offense and I'm going to switch between you and Jasper's earpieces. If I tell you to throw it, throw it and trust I've got Jasper where I want him."

"OK, just…yeah." I didn't know what to say. I was so nervous as I walked out onto the field. Cameras were turned to my direction and started snapping and flashing as I took that first step off the sidelines. _No pressure Edward, none at all. You can do this, _I coaxed myself. I walked to the huddle and realized that I didn't have a plan.

"Everybody, run your normal routes. Seth," I said, turning to the other receiver, "run like you're waiting for the ball. I may throw it to you, so be ready. Jasper, I don't know what Bella is going to tell you but do that." We clapped and broke up our huddle. I take my place behind the center before I hear Bella's voice.

"Edward, I want you to fake it, then throw it straight backwards and don't hesitate or look back or let them know you threw the ball. After that, pretend to rush." I heard a click and knew that she was talking to Jasper now. She's crazy. I can't just chuck it backwards when I don't even know where or why I'm throwing it. I sigh and resign myself to the inevitable. I'm going to make myself look like an idiot on live TV on my first play.

I take a deep breath and the center, Jared, snaps the ball. Let the play begin.

BPOV

"Edward, I want you to fake it, then throw it straight backwards and don't hesitate or look back or let them know you threw the ball. After that, pretend to rush." I switch from Edward to Jasper and say "Jasper, I want you to run along our forty-five and keep your eyes on Edward." I hold my breath and wait for the snap. The center snaps it back to Edward and I watch as he steps back like he was preparing to throw to the other receiver.

Jasper takes off along the sideline straight backwards before cutting across horizontally. Edward pump fakes it forward and I watch with abated breath as he flicks his wrist backwards. The ball flies backwards ten yards right into Jasper's chest. Edward spins a quarter turn and cradles his arms like he still has the ball before he runs into the thick of the action. My heart was pounding as Jasper took off along the sidelines but his path was wide open. He walks the last few yards just to make a point.

"Yes!!! Go Jasper, that's exactly what I wanted," I yelled into Jasper's ear and switched to Edward. "Good job rookie, that worked just like I'd planned!" I turned the whole head set off and set it down as we got our extra point.

"Swan, that play was amazing!" Billy said, coming up beside me. "You got anymore?"

"Of course," I said with a smile. Before I knew it, Jasper and Edward sandwich me in a huge hug.

"That was the best ever. I can't believe I did something that cool," Edward said excitedly.

"I was just as important!" Jasper argued. "I can't believe I caught that. I never would've if you didn't remind me to keep my eyes on Edward."

"If you hurt my assistant coach, I'll kill you," Billy threatened behind me.

"Wait, I didn't officially agree," I said, turning to face him.

"With that play you did. We're having a press conference tomorrow to announce it. And don't make me get Charlie and Jake involved in this," Billy said sternly and I knew I'd lost. I just turned away from him and saw Jasper and Edward's faces.

"Assistant coach?" Edward whispered in my ear.

"It's not that big of a deal," I said as I blushed, trying to figure out why (I pulled out the roster and looked up the name by their number) Embry just let a receiver slip by. Then it hit me. "Did you see Embry let that receiver by? He favors his left side and the opponents know that and go through the right on purpose." I throw on my headphones and switch to Emmett's line. "Emmett, tell Embry to stop favoring his left side because their receiver knows that he can get through on his right."

"What?" I ask defensively when I see Jasper and Edward staring at me again.

"I've been playing with Embry for over a year and I never found out how people get past him," Jasper said and I blushed again.

"I just pay attention. Now hush," I commanded and paid attention to more offensive plays and took notes on our defense. The first half passed quickly with me switching who I was talking to and scheming. But before I knew it, I was in the locker room. "Billy, I've made some notes on the defense and some offensive plays that would play to our strengths. Could I just talk to them now?"

"Of course. You did all that while coordinating with Emmett, Jasper, and Edward?" Billy asked incredulously. I just nodded and blushed. I stood up on a bench in the middle of the room and did my best Billy impersonation.

"Everybody huddle!" I yelled and they turned and stared before moving towards the middle. "Most of you don't know me, but I'm Bella and the new assistant head coach. I've noticed a lot of things today in the game, starting with Embry…" I started on my list of small things that could easily be fixed. After about twenty glitches, I reached the bottom of the list and looked up. All eyes were on me, which caused me to blush.

"What else goes on in your head?" the center, who I believe is Jared, called out.

"I've got about five offensive plays that would be the best for your individual offense…" I trailed off, feeling very embarrassed.

"You will call her Coach and show the same respect you do me. Listen to her because she's right. Just because she's a young woman doesn't mean you can demean her. Remember, she's more important to this team than any individual in here," Billy said and I was touched, and feeling nervous because I don't think I can hold up to their expectations.

"Coach!" I looked up and saw it was Jake smirking at me. "Was that you who designed our first touchdown play?"

"Yes it was," Edward said before I could answer. "Jasper and I didn't even know what was going on. She just told me to fake forward and throw it backwards without looking back and then rush. I didn't know why or where I was throwing the ball, but it worked."

"I didn't know that he was going throw to me. She told me to run behind and keep my eyes on Edward," Jasper said. I was blushing like a school girl by the time they'd finished. I just looked down and doodled on the edge of the notes I'd made. I guess I didn't need to make a speech, seeing as everyone did that for me. Billy stood in front of me until I noticed and looked up.

"I've planned dinner with Edward tonight and lunch tomorrow with Emmett. You need to know this team so you can coach it. There's a practice tomorrow afternoon at two, but Emmett will give you a ride after your lunch. There is an apartment owned by the team that can hold three but Jasper and Edward are the only people in it. I know that you are looking for a place to stay and that all your stuff is in a hotel, but after your dinner with Edward I want you to get it and move into the apartment. You'll have your own room and bathroom, so don't worry about privacy."

"OK…" I said, dazed. What have I gotten myself into?

EPOV

After the locker room incident, all the guys could talk about was Bella. They called her Coach though, so they were showing some respect. The second half of the game passed the same way as the first: Bella giving instructions, us following them, us scoring. It was a great cycle. In the end, we won the game twenty-four to three. We creamed them and got me two touchdown passes in the mix.

After the game, I was bombarded by the press and had to talk to a few of them before I took a shower and changed into jeans and a clean Seahawks jersey. I walked out into the locker room and saw that Coach and Bella were the only people still here. Most people clear out to party and talk to family. I'll call my parents tonight and they were at the game today and I don't drink as a general rule, so I'll be eating dinner with a beautiful girl with an amazing mind. Poor me.

"Ready to go?" Bella asked me when she caught sight of me.

"If you are. What do you want to eat?" I asked as we walked out of the locker room.

"Hmm, I want a burger," she replied casually and I nearly stopped in mid-stride. A woman who likes burgers? I'm in heaven, am I sure I didn't forget my pads on the field during the game and hit my head too hard?

"Ok, I know the perfect place then," I said, trying to play it cool. We hopped into my Volvo and I started the car as Bella flipped on the radio. I was ecstatic to find a woman who wouldn't change the radio from the sports station.

"So, where are we going?" Bella asked me, even though I could tell her mind was in the game coming from the speakers.

"My favorite diner with the most grease on a single french fry you will ever see," I boasted proudly.

"Don't tell Billy what you've been eating. He would freak and make you run an extra couple of miles," Bella laughed.

"That's why I don't plan on telling him," I smirked at her. By now it was raining and we had to make a mad dash into the diner, Bella keeping pace with me easily.

"Edward Cullen, that was one hell of a game you played, man," I heard my favorite waiter, Jose, yell over the noise.

"Thanks. Today I need a table for two," I told him, because my usual was a table for one in a corner near a TV. Jose raised his eyebrows, but led us to the table next to my usual.

"What can I get you two today? Edward, the usual?" I nodded at him and he jotted it down.

"I'll have what Edward gets," Bella said.

"You want a burger with fries and a Coke?" Jose asked incredulously.

"That sounds good. Add a chocolate shake, too." Jose stared a bit before going back towards the kitchen. "I don't understand why people always do that to me," Bella complained, causing me to laugh.

"Because you're beautiful and thin but you eat like a man," I said bluntly. I saw her blush and look towards the TV as a distraction.

"No, you stupid receiver! Why would you run straight into the guy? QB, why did you throw to someone that stupid?" she yelled at the TV. I would've never seen it that way.

"Maybe they don't have you yelling in their ear," I smirked, watching her blush again.

What's not to love about a woman who loves football?

* * *

**AN: I'll understand if you don't understand the football play, but it really isn't that important. **

**FUNFACT: I love The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. Best hour on TV, right there. **

**Thank you for reading, Emma**


	3. Chapter 3: Welcome Home

Chapter Three: Welcome Home

BPOV

"Those were the best grease-coated fries I have ever had," I groaned, holding my stomach and leaning back in my chair.

"I told you so," Edward said as he leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. It gave me a great view of his muscular, strong arms.

"Let's get out of here. I'm tired," I said, holding back a yawn. We stood up and stretched briefly before making another mad dash through the rain.

"What hotel are you staying at?" Edward asked me as he pulled out of the parking lot. I told him and the rest of the ride was spent in peaceful silence. I watched the unfamiliar lights of the city. I had gotten used to the New Haven lights, but these had a different pattern and texture. "What are you looking at?" Edward's curious voice interrupted my musings.

"I'm taking in all the lights. Each city has slightly different lights and sounds," I responded, glancing over to look at Edward's face. He was staring at me but looked away when I caught him staring. I could've sworn I saw him blush lightly, but it could've been the red stoplight. Edward parked in front of the hotel and we both climbed out, making our way to the elevator.

"What floor is your room on?" he asked as we stepped through the elevator door.

"I share a room with my dad on the fifteenth floor," I answered before I froze still. Charlie. Does he know that I'm not going back with him to Forks? And that I'm living with two complete strangers? And that I'm the assistant coach for his favorite team?

"Bella, are you OK?" Edward asked, gently grabbing my elbow.

"I don't know if my dad knows," I said, glad that Edward understood. When the elevator door started opening, I started to freak out. I took a deep breath and unlocked the hotel room that we shared. Charlie was standing in the middle of the room.

"I was wondering when you'd get back," he said, his eyes on me. "Billy told me what's going on."

"Oh, that's good. I would've called you but I…forgot," I tried to explain quickly, but Charlie wasn't looking at me anymore.

"It was my fault, sir. I should've brought her back earlier," Edward said, coming to my rescue. Charlie was in shock. His favorite QB was standing in his hotel room.

"Dad, this is Edward Cullen. Edward, this is my dad Charlie," I made the introductions. They shook hands politely but I could tell Charlie was going to go back and gloat to all his fishing buddies about this. "So Dad, you know that I won't be going back to Forks. Can I call you if I need anything from home?" I asked as I started to pack what little I had scattered around the room.

"Of course, Bells. I'm leaving tonight but I'll be back for the next game to see you," I heard Charlie say while I was in the bathroom. "Now, I'm trusting you with Bella, Edward," he said and I blushed.

"Dad, I can take care of myself, thank you very much," I complained as I packed up the last of my stuff. I sat my suitcase down on the ground and hugged Charlie tightly. He hugged me back gruffly and I held back a laugh. "Bye Dad, I love you and I'll call you within the next couple days," I called as I followed Edward out of the hotel room.

"My dad will brag to all of his buddies at the station that he met you," I told Edward with a laugh when we were in the elevator.

"I'm glad that I can help him somehow. I am taking away Daddy's little girl," he said with a lopsided grin that, for some reason, made me blush. I think he was laughing at his comment and, I hope, not at my reaction. When the doors opened again, I reached for the suitcase but Edward already had it. He put it in the trunk of his Volvo while I had nothing to do but jump in.

"What's our apartment like?" I asked to pass the time as we started to drive. It wasn't raining, but it was completely dark.

"It's pretty basic with one big room that serves as the dining room, kitchen, and living room. There are three doors off of that, each a bedroom with its own bathroom," Edward told me. That sounded like my style: simple.

"I have two very important questions. One: where is the closest coffee shop? Two: are we really close to the stadium?" I asked in a grave tone.

"There's a classic Seattle coffee shop right next door and the stadium is within biking distance if you wanted to bike." I'm glad he took the coffee thing as seriously as I do.

"Well in that case, I'd love to move into your apartment," I said with a dorky smile. Edward chuckled under his breathe and pulled into parking spot in front of a huge apartment building. A _chauffer _took the car and a _doorman _opened the fancy door for us.

"This is Bella Swan and she is moving into Jasper and my apartment," Edward whispered to the doorman and he nodded.

"What floor are we going to?" I asked as we climbed up the main grand staircase.

"The second. It's also the biggest flat in the building, so we don't mind it being close to the ground," Edward explained. Out of nowhere, he turned towards the wall and took out a key. I saw that our door was half way up the stairs. Odd design, but I really like it.

"This is…just plain cool," I breathed as he opened the door. The walls were crisp colors and all the fabrics in the main room were brown and lime green, the colors of footballs and grass. One big, leather, L-shaped brown couch took up most of the living room and faced a huge flat screen TV mounted on the wall. The kitchen was all black-grey granite with a wrap around bar for everyday eating. The barstools had lime green cushions.

"You like it?" Edward asked and all I could do was nod dumbly. "Wait until you see your room," he said with a smirk and pointed at the room in the middle of the row of three doors shooting off the wall opposite the TV.

"They must be huge rooms if they take up the rest of the floor," I said, totally in awe. My old house in Forks and my dorm in New Haven was _nothing _compared to this flat. Edward just laughed and grabbed my hand, tugging towards the door.

"Mine's one the right and Jasper's room is on the left, if you need either of us," Edward told me before opening the door. My room's theme was bright blue and silver. There was a soft, fuzzy blue rug taking up a lot of the empty floor space. There was the biggest and softest bed I've ever seen with a silver bedspread on top. There was a desk that's perfect for my laptop with an awesome roly chair and a walk-in closet.

"I almost don't want to know what the bathroom looks like," I said quietly. I rocked on the balls of my feet before I broke into a sprint and launched onto the bed. I rolled around on the dozen blue and silver pillows and the smooth silver bedspread. I could get used to this.

EPOV

I stood from the door as Bella rolled around on the bed. Her hair was coming out of her ponytail and framing her face. Bella's eyes shone with joy and excitement. The Seahawk's jersey rode up so that her flat stomach was visible. She looked beautiful. I felt like a creeper, just standing and watching her roll around on a huge bed…yep, that's sounds pretty perverted.

"Jealous?" she asked jokingly as she sat up, criss-cross apple sauce.

"Nope, because I have an equally large bed that I can roll on," I smiled widely at her. "Come check out my room and Jasper can show you his tomorrow. He's staying with my sister, who is his girlfriend, Alice tonight."

"Sure. Are all the rooms color coordinated?" she asked, smiling back at me. Her face lit up when she smiled.

"Of course they are. Can you imagine the horror if they clashed?" I put on a look of pure terror and she was laughing so hard I thought I might have to perform CPR.

"Come on, smarty pants. Let's see what color your room is," she joked again as I opened the door. My room was arranged the same as Bella's except the colors are turquoise and sea green. They weren't the best colors, but they were similar to the Seahawk's colors. "Yeah, I like my room better," she told me, her nose scrunched up.

"Thanks ever so much. Jasper's room is blood red and white. He doesn't like it, but my sister Alice absolutely loves it so he puts up with it," I said and she laughed. She perched herself on the edge of my bed.

"I think Alice and I are two different people," she said, laughing a little at Jasper in a red and white room.

"She's going to love you anyway. We don't have any practices the day after tomorrow, so I'll get the whole gang together over here. But first you have to get through tomorrow. It's going to be one hell of day," I said warningly. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes briefly.

"I'm just realizing what I got myself into. It's going to be hard, but I think it'll be a good decision in the end," she told me before looking at the clock that said ten. "I'm going to bed, so I'll see you in the morning."

"Do you want to go to the coffee shop next door for breakfast before your lunch with Emmett?" I asked, knowing she loves coffee.

"That'd be great. Thanks for reminding me about lunch because I completely forgot. See you in the morning," she told me brightly. She slid off my bed and pecked me quickly on the cheek before walking out to her own room. I stood frozen for a bit before coming to myself.

_You just met her today. You can't have such strong feelings for someone you just met._

_She's good at football and eats like a man._

_You can't know her all that well._

_I know her well enough to know she's smart _and _beautiful. _

My internal battle was cut short when my cell phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and saw who it was. "Hey Emmett, what's up?"

"Hey Eddie, nice game today man." I growled over the phone because he knows I hate that name.

"My name is Edward. Please respect my mother and call me Edward," I told him for the hundredth time this month.

"Anyway, tell Bella that I'll pick her up at eleven thirty tomorrow. Have her waiting outside," Emmett instructed. We hung up and I went to tell Bella. I knocked on her door, but I got no answer. I cracked the door a tiny bit, but widened it when I saw that she was asleep. She looked too beautiful to wake up just now. I made my way back to my room and fell asleep, dreaming of a burning cheek.

BPOV

When I first woke up, I didn't know where I was. After a few moments, the events of yesterday came flooding back to me and I smiled widely. Oh boy, is my life getting interesting or what? This morning, everything seemed like an adventure and a new opportunity. For some reason, I thought I'd need that kind of outlook today.

I rolled over to the side of the bed and threw my legs over the side and onto the floor. The fuzzy blue rug was one of the best things on your feet, especially in the morning. I thought about changing out of my PJs but decided that it wasn't a big deal because it was only a men's V-neck shirt and a pair of boxers. I walked into the main room and saw Edward in the kitchen.

And he was shirtless. OK, I knew he must have a good body from all that training, but jeez! I shook my head quickly. I'm not one of those girls that fawns over every hot guy that comes my way. "Good morning sleepyhead," he told me playfully before drinking out of the milk carton.

"Good morning yourself. You still want to go to the coffee house this morning?" I asked before I took the carton out of his hand. I drank a sip to wash a little of the morning taste from my mouth.

"Sure, it was my idea. They've got really good bagels. Can you be ready in half an hour?" he looked at me inquisitively.

"I'm hungry so let's make it five minutes." I watched his face turn to a look of shock but I merely smiled at him.

"No problem, five minutes." My smile widened and I literally skipped to my room.

I was happy today, but you would be too if you woke up to a fuzzy rug and a hot guy in your kitchen.

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**AN: I've been out of town for over a week and I haven't had access to Word the whole time. I just updated my other story, Inconvenience, so check it out. **

**FUNFACT: My youngest and only girl cousin, Reese, who will turn two next month, calls me Elmo instead of Emma**

**Thanks for reading, Emma**


	4. Chapter 4: Breakfast, Lunch, Practice

Chapter Four: Breakfast, Lunch, and Practice

BPOV

I threw on a pair of sporty knee-length yellow shorts along with a simple light green tank top. I wondered for a second if it looked too girly before realizing that I didn't really care what my clothes looked like. I threw my hair into a simple ponytail like I do everyday after brushing my teeth.

"Edward, are you ready?" I called when I didn't see him in the main room.

"I was just waiting on you," he said from behind me, causing me to jump.

"Let's just go. I'm starving," I rolled my eyes and dragged Edward behind me by his hand.

"I can't believe your appetite," he told me as we reached the bottom of the grand staircase.  
"Why not, aren't you hungry too?" By then we were out the front door and Edward tugged me in the right direction.

"Well sure, but I'm a football player and we need to eat a lot of calories to build muscle," he explained, as if I didn't know.

"I can argue with you better after my coffee." I could smell the goodness that is coffee from the street. Edward opened the door from behind me with his long arm, allowing me to go first. I fell in love with the cafe immediately.

"So, you like it?" Edward asked with a smirk. They had tall tables and stools littered around the room, but the main focus was on the coffee maker and pastries in the very center of the room. There were four different places to order on the circular centerpiece. I loved it.

"I like any place that will sell me coffee," I told him, trying to be indifferent. I walked right up the counter and the blonde man behind it winked at me.

"What can I get a pretty little thing like you?" he asked, trying to sound attractive. I nearly puked.

"I want a large black coffee and two chocolate chip muffins," I said quickly, trying to get away from him fast.

"Is that all? I'm Tyler, in case you were wondering," he asked again, leaning closer over the counter so I could get a whiff of his overpowering and sour aftershave.

"I don't know. Edward honey, what would you like?" I turned my pleading eyes to him and he caught on quickly, coming up behind me and snaking his arm around my waist.

"I'd like what the lady's having." Edward's voice held a well concealed threat. Tyler's eyes looked at the arm around my waist for a second before nodding and punching it in on the cash register. I pulled out my credit card to pay for it, but Edward grabbed my hand. "Let me pay for it."

"I can pay," I said under my breath so Tyler wouldn't hear it. Edward just shook his head and paid for it anyway. "You didn't have to pay for mine too. I'll pay you back," I muttered as we walked away from the counter with our coffee and muffins.

"Don't be ridiculous. I wanted to pay for it," Edward insisted. I gave in for now, but later I'll do something for him as well.

"So what's the full schedule today, laid out plainly?" I asked, wanting it cleared up. Edward was about to talk when he suddenly slapped his forehead.

"Emmett called last night after you went to sleep and said to have you meet him outside of the apartment building at eleven thirty. I'm sorry, I completely forgot about it," he apologized. I glanced at my watch and saw I had an hour.

"It's not a problem. What else?" I smiled at him.

"After lunch with Emmett, he will take you to practice, which starts at two. Once practice is over, you and I have to pull off a press conference. I will introduce you as the assistant head coach and you answer reporters' questions," Edward trailed off, seeing my face.

"Wait, Billy was serious about that? The whole 'talk in front of thousands of people' deal?" I squeaked at the end, my voice high and nervous.

"Coach is always serious," Edward said softly, shaking his head to hide his laughter.

"No he isn't," I defended my adopted uncle. "He's actually a really funny guy."

"Not around us, he's not," Edward snorted. Trying to cover for himself, he said, "I'm sure Coach is a good person, we just don't see his soft side." The rest of the hour was spent trying to _avoid _the press conference. Who wouldn't be scared to death in my situation? I went to turn the mugs back in at the counter when Tyler popped up from getting more mugs under the counter.

"Hey sweetie, problems in paradise?" Tyler asked, probably picking up on the fact that Edward and I didn't touch the whole time we were talking.

"We don't have a problem. _You're _the one with the issue," I hissed at him before turning my back on him, rolling my eyes as I walked towards the door where Edward was waiting.

"That guy bothering you again?" Edward asked once I was within earshot.

"Not any more, I've got it covered. Charlie made it seem like I need protection but I don't," I sighed. I jumped when someone honked their horn right next to me.

"Coach, come on! Let's go have some fun, dude!" a loud voice yelled not ten feet away.

"I think it's time for your lunch with Emmett," Edward said, laughing. I rolled my eyes again and walked around to the passenger side of a red convertible.

"Nice car Emmett, though it doesn't seem like you," I teased as I sat down and shut the door.

"It's my wife, Rose's, car. She let me borrow it for today," he said with an evil grin that made me a little nervous. Emmett waved to Edward sarcastically and stepped on the gas. OK, Edward drove fast but it wasn't crazy fast. Emmett just went plain fast.

"So…um, where are we going?" I asked as I buckled quickly and scooted the seat as far back as possible.

"Amusement park!! You do like roller coasters, right?" he asked me, sounding like he already knew the answer.

"Yes! I love roller coasters and the rides and the food and…well, everything!" This was going to be fun. "How far away is it?" I asked, ready to get there.

"You can see the top of the highest roller coaster now," Emmett said, sounding as excited as I was. We bounced up and down in our seats with the wind rushing around us until we were in the parking lot and unbuckling. "Are you ready for some fun, Coach?" he asked me as we literally sprinted into the park.

"Are you any good at football?" I shot right back. Emmett laughed loudly, making everyone turn and watch us run to the main attraction.

"Then I guess you were born ready," Emmett gloated, not a bit out of breath. Wow, everyone on this team can run, even the big Emmett. Good job Billy. The rest of the couple hours we had were spent riding every ride in the place. I thought my face would break from how much I smiled and screamed. We forgot to eat while playing around and grabbed a corn dog and a slushy before heading back to the practice field.

"Emmett that was so much fun. Thanks for everything," I said as I threw away the trash from my lunch and walked into the practice arena.

"My pleasure, Coach. I took my wife and Alice yesterday and we had such a great time that I thought you would like it too. You, Rose, and Alice will get along great, I know it," Emmett said with a goofy bow accompanying his first comment.

"I think Edward already had plans for tomorrow," I told him.

"What are you saying about me behind my back?" Edward's voice said behind us. I turned and saw him slam the door of his Volvo and sprint towards us.

"Absolutely nothing bad and, as your superior, I don't have to tell you." I stuck up my nose jokingly before spotting Billy. I walked over to him and he smiled when he caught sight of me. I didn't smile back. "You're seriously going to make me do this press conference?"

"Yes Bella. This is part of the job and it will not be your last one. Answer questions that you feel agreeable with and don't answer the ones you don't feel comfortable with. Edward will be with you the whole time and I trust him to watch out for you. Don't worry about it Bells, you'll do fine," Billy said, his voice getting soft at the end.

"Whatever you say, Billy. If anything bad happens, I'm blaming you," I warned him but Billy just cracked a smile.

"I can handle that. Let's go get the team." With that, he led me into the locker room where some of the guys were still changing. They jumped when I walked in but the glare from Billy told them not to say anything. "HUDDLE!" I jumped, not quite expecting for Billy to be that loud. Billy stood up on a tall bench and offered me a hand, helping me up.

"Yesterday went better than I expected. We all know who is responsible for that: our new assistant head coach." I blushed and shook my head a little as everyone started to whistle and clap. Billy gave them a 'look' and they quieted quickly. "I will not be at practices for the rest on the week due to personal reasons. Bella will be in charge. I will pick certain team members to report any bad behavior, so don't think you can get away with anything. DISPERSE!"

"What!?" I whispered a little harsher than I should have. "First the press conference and now you're going to leave me with the practices this week?"

"Bella, calm down. Watch what I do today and you'll be fine." I wasn't mollified, but I'll get over it.

"Give me a rundown," I sighed. Billy explained that they started with weights individually and I didn't have to do anything with that. Then, and this is where I come in, Billy or I teach them at least one play and sometimes two. After 'class', they run sprints and suicides for thirty minutes minimum. Bad behavior is treated with an extra suicide or sprint. For the remainder of the practice, they scrimmage and work on the new play.

"So, really, you just sit there and yell simple orders," Billy summed up.

"That sounds easy enough," I smirked. I pretended like Billy wasn't there and directed the practice as Billy had instructed me. Everything went off without a hitch and, before I knew it, I was back in the locker room and Billy was nowhere in sight, probably left without me noticing. The thought crossed my mind that a lot of women and certain men who would love to watch a bunch of sweaty football players change.

"Bell- I mean Coach!" I heard Jake's voice call over all the talking and laughing. I turned and saw him pulling on a shirt. "I knew you were amazing at football because I grew up with you, but I didn't know you were _that _amazing."

"You two are siblings?" Emmett asked from my other side.

"Eavesdropping?" I teased him. "Our fathers are best friends and we're like siblings."

"That makes a lot of sense," I heard Edward's voice on the other side of Jacob. I peered past Jake to make a remark similar to the one I made to Emmett but I couldn't get it out. OK, I'd seen him shirtless before, but this time was just different. Oh my goodness. I was staring. Jake's arm accidentally hit mine and jolted me back.

"HUDDLE!" I yelled and I managed to step up on the bench in the middle of the locker room. To my surprise, they moved as fast for me as they did for Billy. "It was a good practice today. No practice scheduled tomorrow I'm told, so I'll see you day after. Go home and enjoy while Edward and I have a press conference to take care of," I said, grimacing at the end.

"It'll be fine Coach." "It's not that bad, promise." "Good luck with that Coach." Everyone started talking at once and I waved my hand dismissively.

"Whatever you guys say. Now scat, move," I ordered, waving my hand again. They all laughed and said their goodbyes, leaving socks and such behind. Within a few minutes, the locker room was silent and empty. I sighed and sat on the bench, resting my head on my hand.

"Bella, are you ready to…" I heard Edward trail off. Even though I knew he was there, I still jumped when an arm rested itself on my slumped shoulders. "We've got to go or we won't be able to eat anything until after the conference," he said comfortingly.

"How big of a deal is this?" I asked, sighing as I stood up.

"Do you really want to know?" That was all the answer I needed. I took a deep breath and, deciding that it'll be what it'll be, looked up at Edward.

"Are you ready to go?" I said with a falsely bright smile.

"Just waiting for you," Edward responded with a slight smile before leading me out to my doom.

* * *

**AN: Thank you to my amazing unofficial Beta, Music ADD for fixing my 'no duh' mistakes. Sorry for making Tyler the a-hole, but someone had to do it. I'm sorry Tyler.**

**FUNFACT: I'm first chair flute in my school band but I don't really like the flute. I wanted to play trumpet.**

**Thanks for reading and I like reviews, Emma**


	5. Chapter 5: The Press Conference

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Chapter Five: The Press Conference

EPOV

"Bella, you need to calm down. You are way too tense," I instructed. The nerves were rolling off her and onto me. I could practically see the waves of emotions in the air.

"I…just can't. I'm not a nervous person unless I have to talk in front of the whole world," she said, even her voice was bouncing. I took her hand gently and squeezed it.

"You need to take it easy. Everything will be over in two hours." I hoped that comforted her. We were in a private room on a soft couch, waiting until we go on. I decided if I should warn her about…oh well, there's no reason to worry her if I'm not sure the press will ask her about that.

"Whatever you say," she muttered and rested her forehead on her knees. I hesitated in case she wouldn't want me to touch her, but I eventually put my hand on her lower back.

"Mr. Cullen and Ms. Swan, they are ready for you now," a runner told us. Bella sighed as I took her hand to pull her up.

"Wish me luck. Lord knows I'll need it," she sighed again. I hugged her quickly before we got to where the press would see it.

"Luck, and I'll be with you the whole time so you won't be alone. Just chill," I reminded her, letting her out of my arms. I tried to ignore the way my arms tingled even after she wasn't touching them. We walked out of our sanctuary and, after a short hallway, we were both blinded by the flashing lights.

"Who's that woman with him?" "Are they dating?" "Are they _married_?" I tried to hide my true feelings as I took in all of the gossip. We took our seats in front of the Seahawks logo and I rested my hand on her knee to comfort us both. I steeled myself before talking into the microphone.

"As you probably already know, I'm Edward Cullen, the new quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. The woman next to me is Isabella Swan. Bella is our new assistant head coach. We will both be taking questions now." I kept it short and simple. The whole room erupted at the words 'head coach' and I could feel Bella freaking out again, but I couldn't do anything except squeeze her knee.

"Ms. Swan!" Everyone was yelling and competing for our attention. I picked a random one who had their blocky microphone in the air.

"Ms. Swan, what did you have to do to get the job?" he asked. I felt her tense and then force herself to relax before answering.

"I earned my journalism degree and I came to Seattle to be a sports journalist. Billy Black is an old family friend and a second father figure to me. He knew my aptitude for football and planned all along to promote me. I didn't even know until the first game and the team didn't know until half time," she explained, her voice strengthening as she spoke.

"So you got the job because of your connections, not your skill?" another one asked. I nearly growled.

"Bella got the job because she is amazing and inventive. She was the mastermind behind our touchdown plays and all the strategy calls. Without her, there was no way we could've won with as many points as we did," I answered for her. I looked down at her quickly and she smiled back thankfully.

"Edward, it seems you and Isabella are pretty intimate. Is there anything going on there?" And that's the question I was wondering whether I should warn Bella about.

"We are good friends and work together very well," I hedged a bit.

"You didn't answer the question. Isabella, do you have something you'd like to add?" he pushed.

"We are not involved in any way, but we enjoy hanging out and working together." I'm so proud of Bella.

"Bella, do you expect to have a lot of problems with the team because you're a woman?" a female journalist asked. I almost rolled my eyes outright. They make football players sound so sexist.

"No, there've been no problems and there won't be any. All the guys on the team show me as much respect as they do to Billy," Bella insisted, equally as upset with what the reporter was insinuating about her boys.

"Bella, you seem very protective of the players," another man asked. "Is there one that you're especially close to?" They really like to probe in Bella's love life.

"Jake, Billy's son, has been one of my best friends since we were in diapers. Our fathers are best friends," she told them and I knew that there would be something in the paper about a possible relationship between Bella and Jacob.

"Have you found a place in the city yet?" yet another reporter fired at Bella. Oh crap, how can we explain this and not sound bad?

"The team owns a floor of an apartment building made for three people but Jasper Whitlock and Edward were the only ones living there. Billy offered the extra room to me and, seeing as I had no where else to stay, I took it." That made it sound better, like we each had our own apartment on the same floor.

"So you and Edward live close to each other?" a man asked. OK, scratch the part about Jacob and Bella. There will most definitely be a huge article about Bella and my imaginary relationship.

"Well, yes. Bella is one door over from me," I said as nonchalantly as possible.

"Edward, what was it like playing in your first game?" Yes! I answered quite happily, glad that the point of interest is on something more neutral.

BPOV

"Well, at least _that's_ over," I said as I flopped into the passenger seat of the Volvo.

"It could have been worse," Edward tried to console me. I nearly snorted.

"Like what? They could've flat out asked if we were sleeping together and if there were any sexist pigs on the team." I was being overly frank and I knew it, but I want to crash on my bed until lunch tomorrow.

"That's true, but they didn't and we could honestly answer both of those questions," he said as he passed his keys to one of the doormen.

"Ms. Swan, Mr. Cullen," he bowed respectfully. That's kind of annoying.

"Please don't call me that or do that bow thing. Call me Bella and give me a high five from now on. I'm serious," I instructed and the doormen looked confused. "OK, let's try this again, shall we?" I backed up and walked towards the door again.

"Bella, Mr. Cullen," they greeted and gave me a high five.

"Thanks boys, I appreciate it," I told them as I started up the stairs, Edward by my side.

"Why do you do things like that?" Edward asked, staring at me.

"I don't like formalalities. I grew up in small homes with the simple things and all of this is just too much," I explained to him as we stepped into our apartment. I sighed and sprinted to the couch, happy to be back in my new home. "It's good to be home," I sighed. I heard Edward laugh but, to my surprise, it was accompanied by a female laugh.

"This, I assume, is Bella," I heard a soprano bell-like voice giggle. I sat up straight and saw a short woman with black spiky hair and beautiful facial features.

"This, I assume, is Alice," I joked back, looking at Edward. He jumped and began the introductions.

"Bella, my sister Alice. Alice, my friend and assistant head coach Bella," he said quickly. I was startled when Alice ran over to where I was sitting/lying on the couch to give me a hug.

"Emmett, Jasper, and Edward all said that we'll be great friends so I can't wait to get to know you better," she squealed in my ear. When she let me go I flopped back on the couch. Now that I've been introduced to the stranger in my apartment, I want to go to bed.

"Bella, are you OK?" Edward asked me, concerned.

"I'm fine. Take a seat and keep talking," I mumbled and Edward and Alice sat next to me on the L-shaped couch. After a long day, the soothing sounds of conversation lulled me to sleep.

EPOV

"Edward, are you listening to my story?" Alice asked me. I was staring at Bella's sleeping form next to me on the couch. Her head was resting on my thigh like a pillow and she was breathing deeply.

"I'm listening," I lied. Alice just laughed.

"You were staring at your head coach. And don't think that you can lie to me, because I'm your sister and we know these things," Alice said smugly. I sighed and sunk into the back of the sofa. Alice doesn't give up on these kinds of things.

"Alice, can you please just leave us alone on this? I can do it by myself, thank you very much. When is Jasper getting back?" I skillfully changed the subject. Jasper went to visit his elderly grandfather in the nursing home today, like he always does after a game.

"I'm meeting him at my apartment soon," Alice said with a dreamy look. I'm glad she's with Jasper instead of a lot of other guys, but having your sister and best friend going out is weird. "So, Rose, Jasper, Emmett, and I will be back here by eleven. Emmett said he was bringing barbeque and Jasper and I are bringing salad and desert, which leaves you and Bella with drinks," she said, going over the plan.

"I think we can handle that," I told her before giving her a hug.

"Good luck getting her to bed," Alice smirked as she shut the door. I love that scheming sister of mine. I glanced at Bella and saw that she was still deeply asleep.

"Stupid Tyler." I jumped and looked at Bella again, but saw that she was still fast asleep. "Run Jasper," she said clearly. She sleep talks? I smiled at this new piece of information. I watched her for another couple of minutes before deciding that I should probably move her now.

I slipped my arm under Bella's shoulder blades and the other under her knees. I picked her up as carefully as I could so I didn't wake her up. She wasn't very heavy so I had no problem carrying her to her doorway and into her room. I pulled back the covers with one hand while keeping a strong hold on Bella with the other.

"Edward…" I jerked and nearly dropped Bella. I checked that she was still sound asleep before settling her on the bed, took off her shoes, and pulled the covers over her. I sat on the edge of her bed and faced towards her, my hand resting near hers.

"Edward, I don't like reporters." I laughed out loud. She turned over and grabbed my hand unconsciously. "Edward, don't leave me alone with them," she spoke again. She looked so irresistible that I stayed, falling asleep beside her.

BPOV

I woke up gradually, the warmth around me slowing it down the process even more. As soon as I was awake enough, I noticed the muscular arm that had me pulled me close to a hard chest. I flipped over quickly and saw Edward next to me, making me freeze.

His hair was messy and disordered, which made him even more attractive. He was sleeping on his stomach with one arm around my waist and the other bent on his other side, his hand on the back of his neck. His eyelashes cast long shadows over his defined cheekbones. He looked pretty damn amazing.

I started to get up to take a shower, but Edward's arm constricted around my waist and pulled me back down. He breathed across my face and there was no trace of morning breath. Once my mind was working again I slipped out carefully and put a pillow in my place. I saw him frown but eventually hug the pillow even closer. I wanted to be that pillow. I sighed and walked into the bathroom, switching on the hot water.

I let the water work out all of the worries about yesterday and, after twenty minutes, I stepped out and grabbed a towel. I brushed my teeth while my hair was air drying. I was about to reach for my clothes when I realized I didn't have any. I hoped Edward was still asleep as I made sure the towel covered everything it needed to and stepped out.

With my luck, of course he was sitting up in my bed and staring at me. "Like the view?" I joked lightly as I turned around to grab some clothes from the drawers.

"Yes acutally, I am." His voice sounded hoarse and I blushed. I covered it quickly by not turning around and slipping back into the bathroom.

Good job, Bella.

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**AN: I know this chapter's POVs skip around a lot, but that was the only way I could work it out. I hope the press conference wasn't disapointing. It is a bit to me. **

**FUNFACT: It's my birthday!!! YAY! I'm fourteen now. wow. **

**Thanks for reading, Emma**


	6. Chapter 6: The Article

Chapter Six: The Article

BPOV

I came out, fully dressed, to find Edward still sitting on my bed. I blushed lightly as I walked over to sit in the center of the bed. "When is everyone getting here?" I asked, trying to diffuse the odd silence.

"Around eleven. I was just about to get up to get some drinks from the grocery store. You're welcome to join me, but you could also just chill here if you wanted," he offered. I watched him throw his legs over the side of the bed and stretch, his muscles rippling under his shirt. Edward turned for my answer and smirked when he saw me staring. Well, he isn't one to talk.

"I'll just go with you. I need to pick up some stuff myself," I explained, desperately needing to get some girly items.

"Be ready in…ten minutes, OK?" he asked, walking towards my door.

"I'm just waiting for you, sweetheart," I smirked. I followed him out in time to see his door slam. I picked up the TV remote and looked for the power button, but I couldn't find it. It was one of those huge touch screen remotes that don't seem to have an 'on' button. I turned it upside down and flipped it upside-down. After over five minutes of turning it around and over and every way I could think of, then I actually threw it against the wall.

"Oh shit," I yelled before jumping off the couch to pick up the remote from the floor. I jumped when I heard loud laughter from behind me. I looked up and glared at Edward. "How do you turn this stupid thing on?"

"That was the old remote that Jasper and I haven't gotten rid of yet. This," he said through his laughter, picking up a normal looking remote from the coffee table, "is the one that we use now." I glared at the remote in my hand before dropping it on the floor.

"Whoops! I need to get out for a bit, so let's go to the store." I looked back at the door and saw Edward doubled over in silent laughter. "I'm going to leave without you," I warned.

"Wait, I'm coming," Edward called after me a little breathlessly. I left the door open behind me as I walked directly onto the grand staircase. By the time I'd reached the main door, Edward was walking calmly beside me. I was glad that, even though there were different doormen today, they gave me a high five as I walked out.

"Bella, Mr. Cullen," they greeted. I smiled widely at them as another worker brought out the Volvo. I walked around to the driver's seat and took the keys from the man. I turned to look for Edward and found him staring at me, in shock, through the open door.

"Are you getting in?" I asked, confused.

"You. Are. Not. Driving. My. Volvo." His voice was thunderous.

"Would you let Billy drive your car if he asked?" I looked up at him innocently.

"Yes, but…that's Billy," Edward stumbled over the words.

"Don't be sexist, Edward. I have the same job and title as Billy, so you should treat me the same," I told him, my argument solid. He sighed and climbed into the passenger's side. "So, where are we going?" I asked brightly.

"Straight for two blocks before taking a right," he instructed, resigning to his fate. I glanced over and was surprised to see a smirk on his face that didn't fit with his tone of voice. I turned back to the road and pondered what idea brought that kind of mischievous smile. I didn't have to wait long.

"You're a lot cuter than Billy," Edward's smooth voice whispered in my ear, taking me by surprise. I felt his hand caress my knee softly, moving farther up my leg with each stroke, and I had to take a steadying breath.

"You wouldn't do this to Billy, so don't do it to me," I tried to sound firm and, surprisingly, it worked. I thought I felt his lips brush my ear when he pulled back, but I'm not sure if that was on purpose of if I really felt it. "Thank you," I smiled, wining this small victory. I can see the headlines now…

"_Isabella Swan, a twenty-two year old woman, turned down the flirtatious advances of the drop-dead gorgeous heartthrob, Edward Cullen. Some women believe she's brave while others think she was being 'stupid to not take advantage of the interest.' What was young Isabella thinking? We might never get a look into the brave/stupid Isabella's mind." The female anchor, who was looking hot thinking about Edward, shuffled with some papers to cover up her flustered state. _

"Bella, we're at the store." Edward's voice saved me before the depths of my mind pulled me under again. He was looking at me like I was psycho or something, so I smiled at him as I got out of the car.

"Sorry about zoning out on you," I apologized as we walked through the sliding doors and into the cool store.

"Does that happen a lot?" he teased as he grabbed a cart and walked straight towards the drinks.

"Its part of my charm," I smiled at him innocently. "I don't drink alcohol, so grab me some vitamin-infused drink for me," I called as we split our separate ways. I got my stuff and left quickly, not wanting to spend too much time with a bunch of hormonal women in such a small aisle. I went ahead and checked out my stuff to save the embarrassment that my items would cause before looking for Edward.

"Bella!" Edward called over the heads of shoppers. I caught up to where he was and we walked to the check out line. I glanced over all the headlines and saw the usual: Angelina and Brad adopted another child, Britney flashed someone else, Lindsey got a DUI. Then, my picture on the cover of the newspaper caught my eye.

"Edward…" The tone of voice made him spin around on his heels and his eyes followed my gaze.

"Dammit," he muttered, reaching a hand out for the newspaper. "We'll look at it when we get home," he decided and threw it into the cart as if it burned him. That was the quickest ten minutes of my life. It was only ten fifteen, so it should be a while before everyone gets here. Edward and I were sitting side by side in absolute silence.

"So, do you want to read it or for me to read it out loud?" Edward asked after a few minutes of silence.

"You do it." My voice cracked a bit at the end. Edward took a deep breath before starting:

_"Isabella Swan is the youngest assistant head coach in the history of football. Not only that, but she's also the first female coach of any kind to ever…" _It went on for a while about the importance of females in the sports business. Until....

_"In the press conference yesterday, Isabella admitted to being 'especially close' to Jacob Black, head coach Billy Black's son. Could there be a love story from their shared past? Or, is the story unfolding now? Earlier in the press conference, Isabella and Edward Cullen, rookie quarterback, admitted to being 'good friends'. The question everyone is asking is: Is Isabella cheating on Jacob Black by sleeping with Edward Cullen?"_

"No one is asking that, Bella," Edward told me as he stopped reading. I needed comforting. I leaned into his chest and started to cry. I don't cry as a general rule and I'm never weepy, but this I just can't handle on my own.

EPOV 

I was shocked to say the least when she leaned into me and started to sob. As if on instinct, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her even closer. She shifted so that she could get closer to me and I let her, holding her as she cried. I just rocked her back and forth for a bit before making sure that she was feeling marginally better.

"Bella, everything will work out. Don't worry about what one person said. I promise, everything will be fine," I told her softly in her ear.

"You can't promise me that," she whispered, but she didn't pull back.

"No, I guess I can't. But I do know that everything works out in time. Give it time to itself work out," I tried again. The door flew open and Alice walked in without knocking.

"Edward, did you get the- Oh," Alice stopped talking as she walked in. On her heels were Rose, Emmett, and Jasper, all of whom turned to stare at Bella and me on the couch. Without speaking, I threw the newspaper at them. A few short minutes later, Alice was yelling, "I am going to hurt someone!" She's barely five feet.

"Ali, we're all angry," I told her over Bella's head, using her childhood nickname that softened her up. Bella had stopped crying but still didn't pull away from my chest.

"You don't look very angry!" she yelled. Jasper, sensing he was needed, took Alice into his arm and whispered into her ear. Rose and Emmett were reading it now but, after seeing Alice's reaction, decided it would be better if they went outside for a bit. Rose can be a bit…explosive when angry.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I know that you're as upset as I am," she apologized, looking uncharacteristically sad and mellow. I smiled to let her know that I'm not angry at her and patted the seat beside me. She smiled back and I wrapped my other arm around her when she sat down. Jasper sat on her other side, also wrapping his arm around her.

"Rose, honey-" Emmett's muffled voice said through the door before it flew open.

"I want to kill the slut who wrote this!" Rose yelled even louder than Alice. Being 5'10", she's much more intimidating then Alice. I pity whoever gets on her bad side.

"Rose, you need to calm down," Emmett tried again. He reached for her wrist but she yanked her arm away.

"I don't want to be calm; I want to hurt that cow!" She was still yelling. I looked down at Bella to see if she was watching, but she'd fallen asleep in my arms. She didn't even wake as Rose started yelling.

"Fight without me, Bella fell asleep," I said, shifting Bella so I could stand up without waking her up.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Jasper asked softly as I got on feet. I glared at him and kept walking, having a little trouble with the door handle. When I set her down on the bed I had to gently pry her hands from my shirt. It hurt to see the tear streaks down her cheeks and know that there was nothing I could do to help. I could, however, wipe away the tears I couldn't prevent. I wiped her cheeks gently with the back of my hand before joining the rest of the group in the living room.

"I'm sorry about this, man," Emmett told me seriously. I merely nodded in response.

"Anyone up for lunch?" I asked, hoping to divert the attention to something more mundane. They all agreed, though I caught a couple of worried glances. "Drinks orders?"

"Water." "Coke." "Beer." "White wine." I went to the kitchen to get the various drinks. Everyone stopped their whispering when I walked in.

"How about you just talk to me and ditch the secretive mood?" I suggested, taking a seat between Alice and Rose.

"How are _you_ doing…in regards to that article, I mean?" Alice asked hesitantly.

"Honestly, I'm pretty POed right now. I'll get over it and forget about it after a while, but right now I'm not happy," I answered calmly. I think I'm in shock right now and will be a lot angrier later.

"Will Bella get over it? You know her better than any of us," Rose asked. I was touched that she seemed to care about Bella before they'd even been introduced.

"I think that she hasn't had to deal with anything like this, but she'll get used to the spotlight. I don't think she will ever enjoy it but it'll become a fact of life over time. Keep in mind; I've only known her, what, three days?" Then it hit me. "Jacob! Jacob has known her forever, so we'll call him tomorrow if she isn't better." I smiled to myself, proud that I made a game plan.

"So, how are you and Bella doing?" Rose asked, giving me a sly look that I returned with a glare.

"I just told you how we were doing," I smiled innocently at her.

"Do you really want me to lay it out to you or will you save me the trouble?" Rose threatened. She can be forceful when she wants to be.

"Everything is fine. Don't worry or meddle or ponder, but try to let it be," I begged them with my eyes, though my voice sounded strong.

"OK, we'll try. FYI, we will be talking to Bella when she's better and more comfortable around me." I stared, open-mouthed, at Rose.

"You wouldn't," I warned, my voice low. Alice and Rose's smiles were all the answer I needed. "Emmett, Jasper, control your better halves please," I said, turning to the people who had the best ways of persuasion.

"We'll try man, but no promises," Emmett said, Jasper nodding his head.

Thanks for the help, guys.

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**AN: A huge thanks again to Music ADD. She worked wonders on this chapter.**

**FANFICTION: My locker number is 239 and the Methodist PK has 237. Was that planned?**

**Thanks for reading and I like reviews, Emma**


	7. Chapter 7: ESPN and a Race

Chapter Seven: ESPN and a Race

BPOV

When I woke up I got the feeling that I hadn't been asleep very long. I sat up quickly and received a rush of blood to my head came along with the memories from yesterday. I groaned and flopped face down onto the bed. Eventually, I ran my fingers through my hair before walking into the main area where I followed the noise into the kitchen.

"Hey Bella, how are you feeling?" Edward asked as he washed the dishes. I guess Rose, Alice, and Emmett already left. Jasper must have left with Alice.

"I'm fine; I just need some time to take it all in. I'll get there and be just fine," I smiled at him. I really just need to let it sink in. "Hey, what's for lunch? I'm starving," I said, my stomach growling an accompaniment to my words.

"Emmett brought over some barbeque and you can have that fruit/vitamin drink we picked up," he told me, laughing slightly at the sounds my stomach made.

"Sounds good. Can you toss me a bottle?" I asked as I took a seat at the bar. He tossed me one and I caught it easily. I took a couple of sips before piling my plate high with food and microwaving it for a couple minutes. As I sat down, I caught Edward staring at me.

"How can someone so tiny eat like Emmett?" he asked incredulously.

"It's really very easy. I open my mouth, put food in, chew, and swallow," I said like I was talking to a four year old. He merely rolled his eyes and began wiping down the counters. I finished quickly and grabbed a rag, helping him clean a bit.

"It's time for the Cowboys to play. We should watch it since we're playing them this weekend," Edward suggested as we finished up. The first half of the game went by quickly and quietly. I took notes on all of the shortcomings and specialties so I could plan the perfect plays. All in all, I think that if we have the right plays and play hard, we have a chance at winning.

"You've been quiet. What are you thinking about?" Edward asked near the end of the second quarter.

"You've been quiet too, and I'm strategizing and planning ways to get the team off their backside so they can play some football," I smiled at him. By now, I was at the point where I was a little annoyed, but not sad. Edward pretended to be affronted.

"We play football. What do you think they pay us for?" I laughed at that, trying not to think about how much _I _am going to get paid. I'm sure it's plenty more than I need.

"They pay you for looking good in spandex," I smirked. Again, he looked like I'd insulted him.

"Looking good in spandex isn't all we get paid for, though it is an extra bonus," he said, mockingly thoughtful at the end of that.

"Aren't getting close to the Cowboy's cheerleaders bonus enough?" I joked again. He rolled his eyes at me as the first half ended.

"They are the most annoying things on the planet. You'll see when we fly down to Texas in two days," Edward told me seriously. We stopped talking to hear the predictions for the second half and all the news of the sports world. I nearly screamed when I saw my face in the little box with a caption that said 'First Female Coach'.

"Isabella Swan is responsible for all of the following plays," the commentator said shortly before showing all of the major trick plays from the game. "So, why haven't you heard of her? She is the brand-new and surprising pick for Seattle's assistant head coach. The creativity and analyzing it must have taken to plan those plays is startling. Any thoughts?" he said before looking around the curved table.

"I think it's high time that women had a major impact in the sports world," a man with large, intimidating shoulders said.

"Hey, anyone who plans _that _kind of plays is cool with me, male or female," another man said, this one out of shape and gone to seed. They all laughed and bobbed their heads like the bobble heads of themselves do.

"There are already rumors of her playing Jacob Black and Edward Cullen. Whether those are true or gossip, we aren't-" I turned the TV using the normal remote.

"This is ESPN, not Cosmo!" I yelled loudly. I caught myself and calmed down. "I thought ESPN had some standards."

"Bella, calm down. They just don't know how to deal with you because you're something they aren't used to. There are similar reports about cheerleaders and they don't know whether they should treat you differently or not. They'll learn soon to treat you like they do the other male coaches," Edward said soothingly.

"You've been comforting me a lot lately and I'm sorry," I apologized. He cracked a smile.

"I have to admit that comforting you has helped me tremendously, so for that I thank you," he said, smiling the whole time. I loved how his eyes smiled as well as his mouth and his hair in the morning and how cute he looks when he's sleeping and… Bella, you aren't like the other girls. You do not think gooey thoughts like that about anything, not even puppies. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and smiled at Edward.

"Then in that case, it's my pleasure." He laughed his beautiful laugh and hearing it made my smile wider. Again, I told myself that he shouldn't have that kind of effect on me. To change the subject, I said, "So, are you ready for the game?"

"Isn't it your job to get us ready?" Edward asked rhetorically.

"No, I can't help you with that. I just tell you what to do once you're ready," I smirked at him.

"Whatever. I was born ready for this game," he gloated.

"Then I dare you to a race to see who is the readiest," I challenged, looking him in his beautiful green eyes. I could tell by his smug smile that he thought he had this in the bag.

"Bring it, just don't cry when you loose," he said, standing up.

"We'll see," I said shortly, standing up on my tip-toes so I could look him in the eye. I tried to look intimidating but I don't think it worked as well as I'd planned.

"Let me order pizza first," Edward said, smiling as he heard my stomach growl again even though I'd just eaten. He ordered over the phone, ordering an extra large supreme for the two of us.

"We've got twenty minutes," I joked and got a laugh out of Edward.

"I set the rules: three rounds around the kitchen-living room area, no tripping, no tickling, no pinching or any such like, first person to touch my door after the third lap wins," he explained. I thought it over and, deciding it sounded fair enough, nodded.

"On the count of three. One, Two, Three!" Both of us were off, racing around the couch and our socks sliding as we turned on the kitchen floor. For the first couple laps Edward and I were even. As we made our way around the last corner, I gained a hair of an advantage. I milked that hair for all it was worth, putting on an extra burst of speed. I hit the door first and prepared for impact, but the door wasn't shut all the way.

"Whoa!" I yelped as the door gave way. Before I knew it, my grip on the doorknob made me twist in mid-air. My back hit the floor hard and the breath was knocked out of me. In less than a second, Edward's hands were planted on either side of my head and his body was over mine. And he was staring directly in my eyes.

"I won," I whispered, not having the breath to say it louder because of our proximity. He didn't respond but the intensity of his eyes increased. He put all of his weight on one hand and moved the other to cup my cheek. The feeling of skin on skin made me dizzy. His eyes weren't helping me keep my cool either. I don't know how long we were lying on his floor. It didn't matter because time didn't exist, and nothing mattered but the two of us.

Until the doorbell rang, that is.

"You should probably get that," I breathed. Edward seemed to come to and nodded slowly. My face burned after he removed his hand to push himself up and the rest of my body felt cold as he stood up. I stayed on the floor, frozen, until I heard the front door slam shut and the smell of pizza hit me hard. It took a second to get my mind back in check and walked out with a smile on my face. I will ponder this later.

"I won!" I gloated as I walked into the main room. I saw that Edward was back to his usual mentality too.

"We need a rematch," he insisted. He brought the pizza box into the living room and set it on the coffee table. Edward took his seat and patted the seat next to him, focusing on the TV where the third quarter was just starting. I sat a few inches away from him and was surprised when he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me to his side.

"Can you hand me a slice of pizza?" I asked, adjusting to our current position. The second half of the game was a lot better than the first. Not only did I catch even more things about the Cowboys, things were easier and more comfortable between Edward and me. We stayed close the whole game but it wasn't an imposing closeness. It was a more open, didn't have to try kind of closeness.

"We'd better get to sleep. We've got an important practice tomorrow morning," he said quietly as the after-game show ended. Together, we'd taken out the whole pizza in less than an hour. I sighed and started to untangle myself from Edward so I could stand up. Edward kept a hold on my hand and stood up with me. We walked in silence to my bedroom door.

"So, I'll see you in the morning," I whispered at the door, my hand on the handle.

"Of course, Bella," he whispered back. I leaned in cautiously and kissed his cheek quickly. I saw him smile as I slipped through the door and closed it. I rested my back against the door and leaned into it heavily.

EPOV

I felt my cheek burn from where she kissed me. I smiled widely and slowly made my way back to my room. I changed into boxers and a white shirt after a shower. I got settled in bed before I let myself think.

When I had fallen on her after our race, everything was frozen. My mind was frozen along with the rest of the world. All I knew was that I had to touch her so I reached out a hand and placed it on her cheek. Her skin was smooth and the flush was beautiful against her creamy complexion. Her hair was messy after our run around the house and made her even more beautiful.

But there is more than just physical attraction.

Something in her eyes caught me and held me there. Electricity ran through her face to my hand. Something about Bella made her more than every other girl. She was down to earth and easy to be with. Everything about her siezed me and hasn't let go. There is an inner beauty that shines through.

But I don't know how she feels about me.

What if she doesn't like me as anything more than a friend? I can accept that but I don't want to. I will take whatever she's willing to give me, even if it's just friendship. Did she feel anything earlier? I thought she did but I can't be sure. She is a mystery that I will never figure out and I don't want to.

I'm in way over my head.

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**AN: This was just a quick filler. I actually have part of the next parts planned out but they need to be closer first. Thanks to Music ADD who helped a lot with this chapter.**

**FUNFACT: I always write in the font Maiandra GD using 1.5 spacing on the Web Layout Veiw. It's the most comfortable way to do it for me. **

**Thanks for reading and I like reviews, Emma**

**P.S. THERE IS NO JACOBXBELLA! They are just really close friends and nothing more.**


	8. Chapter 8: Mood Rings and Swings

Chapter Eight: Mood Rings and Swings

BPOV

I've always loved airplanes. I love the way they smell and the feeling in your gut when you take off, like a promise of greener pastures on the other side. I was sitting in between Jake and Edward and I couldn't have been happier. Billy, Emmett, and Jasper were in the seats in front of us. We were headed to Dallas for the Cowboy's game tomorrow and I was sure we're ready, but I had to tease Edward a bit.

"Are you sure you're ready, hotshot?" I asked him seriously.

"Are you sure you're ready, Coach?" he responded, using my title. Edward was the only person on the team that ever called me Bella. Even Jake has started calling me Coach, albeit mockingly.

"Will you two stop flirting?" Jake whined beside me. I tried to play it off casually by rolling my eyes and keeping my blush as light as possible.

"Stop being a crybaby just because you missed your nap, Jakey," I joked, keeping the focus of Edward and me.

"Well, _Coach_," he said, stressing the title, "if the two of you would stop being all happy and lovely I could take that nap."

"Just go to sleep, Jacob," Edward said from my other side. When I looked at him, I was surprised to see a blush spreading across his face.

"Aw, come on Coach, you know you love me," Jake said childishly. He leaned over and kissed my cheek sloppily.

"If only Billy and Charlie weren't so close," I sighed dramatically.

"What was that about me?" Billy said gruffly, turning around in his seat.

"Nothing, except that it's your fault that I have to put up with Jake and actually like him," I replied calmly. "Now, turn around." Another half hour later, everyone within a seven seat radius was asleep except for Edward and me.

"What's up with you and Jake?" Edward asked, trying to sound casual without completely succeeding.

"He's crazy, but I love him," I laughed, thinking of all the insane things Jake has done over the years. Wait, did Edward look…jealous? I tested that by saying, "But he's like a brother to me. Nothing romantic going on there."

"Oh," was all Edward's said, but his face brightened considerably and a smile started to play on his lips. I still can't believe Edward's jealous of Jake though. I'm sure he thinks of me as a friend and boss, not in a romantic way.

EPOV

If she's not dating Jacob, then maybe, just maybe, I've got a chance with her…. No, she probably doesn't think of me like that. To distract myself from dwelling on that, I asked, "Do you think we've got a good chance at winning?"

"It'll be close, but if we try hard enough and you guys play some good football, we might have a chance," Bella said seriously. I could almost see the gears turning in her head, comparing statistics she's memorized and what they really mean.

"Bella, if you tell the team to do something, they'll do it. Everyone really likes you," I reassured her.

"Oh, I know you guys do what I want you to. And who wouldn't like me?" she teased, striking a pose with her hand puffing up her hair. She looked pretty good in her camp T-shirt.

"That didn't sound stuck up at all," I grinned at her and she cracked up her pose and composure.

"You sounded like Charlie, who always calls me a 'hot mess'," she managed through her laughter. I sounded like her _father_?

"And why, may I ask, does he call you a hot mess?" I asked, curious now.

"I was…an interesting child. I got into all kinds of situations that can only happen to me. Once, I slipped on nothing and fell on a PB&J sandwich that Jake was eating at the table. The year before I went to Yale, I locked Jake's keys in his car…while it was running. I got stuck on my roof another time because I thought Charlie's window was unlocked when I forgot my key one day. It wasn't unlocked. I could go on, but I think I'll spare you," she summed up. I'd tried to keep a straight face while she was talking, but I couldn't help it.

"Can I call you a hot mess?" I asked when I could breathe again.

She merely rolled her eyes at my immaturity.

"You're welcome to call me Bella and think I'm hot," she tried to say with a straight face. She struck another pose, laughing the whole time. I think I'll follow both of her suggestions. A few hours passed in easy banter and talk about nothing. When the seatbelt light came back on, Bella smiled evilly and turned on Jacob.

"Jake, wake up," she whispered in his ear. He didn't stir, but that made her smile even wider. She reached into her cheap plastic cup to grab an ice cube and I watched, breathe bated, as she dropped it in his ear.

"Holy shit!" Jacob yelled loudly, drawing many eyes to our row. He tried to stand up but the seat belt threw him back in the seat. Bella and I were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe.

"Your face was priceless," I said, my voice breathy because my lungs were empty. A stewardess started towards us, her face stern, but Billy beat her to it.

"Isabella Marie Swan! Jacob Black! You are both adults and I would like to treat you as such. One more incident like this and Jake, you will have to wear a dirty uniform and Bella, you have to wear Jake's uniform, pads and all," he yelled at them. Jake and Bella nodded, their heads bowed. The whole team was laughing silently and I could tell this will be written down in the top secret book the team kept back home of all the unforgettable moments.

"I didn't think he'd get _that _mad," Bella whispered to me as soon as Billy turned his back.

"I did." I was trying to hold back my laughter so hard that I thought I would burst. The look on her face was even better than Jacob's. She crossed her arms across her chest and stared at the seat in front of her. Her anger was so cute and endearing. Instead of pushing me away, her anger made me want to be closer to her, to apologize, to make it better.

Bella was really good at being angry. She stayed still and silent for almost fifteen minutes. When the wheels of the plane hit the ground, I decided to try and snap her out of her silence.

"Bella, I'm sorry for laughing at you. Will you please forgive me?" I begged in her ear so Jacob wouldn't hear. She shivered, but I didn't think the plane was cold at all.

"I will, but I have to be angry at you for at least another ten minutes," she told me, her voice hard and her face smooth.

"Please?" I pleaded dramatically, still whispering in her ear. She leaned down and dug a piece of paper and a pen out of her bag. I watched her write something before she handed it to me.

_Leave me alone and let me be grumpy. The more you beg, the longer I'll be silent._

_In anger, Bella_

I laughed as I read the note. Bella's expression turned sour when she saw me laughing. She followed Jake off the plane and I trailed behind her, aware that I looked like a lost puppy. The drive to the hotel was quiet as Bella pouted and I let her. Once the whole team was assembled in the lobby of the Hilton, Billy called for attention.

"Everybody, shut up!" he yelled and the room went silent, all eyes were on Billy. "The team helpers are over here with a list of rooms and roommates. All of them are suites with three bedrooms and a kitchen. Come find your room and get ready for the game tomorrow. We've got to kick some serious ass," Billy finished and the entire team erupted into cheers.

"Your room is 1011, which is all the way at the top. Bella and Jasper, whom you live with, are your roommates, Mr. Cullen," one of the helpers told me. I smirked, knowing that Bella would have to talk to me now.

"Edward, come on!" Jasper called over all the heads, Bella beside him. The three of us rode up in the elevator, Bella and I stood in silence as Jasper did all of the talking. Usually Jasper is really quiet, but tonight he could sense that Bella was a little angry. Once we got to our floor, we stepped out and found our door.

"Which room do you want?" I asked Bella politely. There were three doors to choose from and, as far as I could tell, they were all identical. Bella merely shrugged and stalked into the middle room, slamming the door in my face.

"Is she OK?" Jasper asked me, confused.

"I just…wasn't as understanding as I could've been earlier, but everything's fine," I reassured him. I ordered pizza and unpacked for the next half hour. As soon as the smell of pizza wafted through the suite, Bella's head popped out of her door.

"Hey," she greeted me cheerily, smiling as she grabbed the piece of pizza out of my hand. Does she have a multiple personality disorder? She laughed as she saw my expression. "You wanna watch some football?" she asked, bringing the whole box of pizza to the couch with her.

"Are you alright or do you just like freaking me out?" I asked seriously, worried about her mental well being. Her hysterical laughter after my question wasn't reassuring.

"You are really funny. I'm fine and I'm didn't mean to freak you out," she smiled widely. I would almost say evilly, but I could tell she was only happy. I continued to stare at her until she asked if I was going to watch the TV. I turned and half listened to what was being said, trying to figure out Bella's mind. "NO!" she yelled at the screen.

"Bella, you need to calm down," I said soothingly, totally confused. She was on her feet and staring furiously at the TV, her hands balled into fists by her side.

"Allan broke his leg! He was their worst defensive player and I planned to exploit that! Now they'll put someone who can actually defend in there," she screamed.

"Everything will work out tomorrow; we'll simply have to play stronger on that side," I reasoned, but Bella was _really _angry.

"I had it planned out. We would have scored at least an extra touchdown on Allan's side!" she explained loudly. Oh my gosh, how am I supposed to deal with this?

"Sit back down and chill out, we can work it out tomorrow," I said, tugging on her elbow to pull her back down.

"Whatever," she said, resigned. Bella had tears in her eyes. The emotions I felt surge through me at the sight of her crying was surprising and staggering. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

"Can I do anything?" I whispered. She shook her head and shook off my arm.

"I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning," she told me, kissing my cheek and smiling as she stood up. I am so lost.

"Dude, you look weird. Wait, you didn't tell me we had pizza!" he remarked before taking three pieces out of the box.

"Bella just went from brooding to happy to pissed to sad in less than twenty minutes," I explained, feeling a little dazed.

"Man, get used to it. Alice does that sometimes and you've got to learn to adapt quickly," Jasper said, showing some tough love. "What made her so upset anyways?"

"Allan, a Cowboy defensive player, broke his leg and can't play tomorrow. Bella, apparently, had plays that would use him to our advantage," I said, taking another bite of pizza.

"Yeah, that sucks. I'm going to bed, you should too," Jasper said shortly. I nodded and flipped off the TV before cleaning up the coffee table. I threw the leftover pizza into the mini-fridge. Once in my room, I took a shower and copied Jasper, crashing on bed.

What was up with Bella today? I thought I understood people, but now I know I don't have a clue. I understand most women and how they work. What I'm learning is that Bella isn't 'most women'. She's much more complex, more of a puzzle and less predictable. I loved the challenge that was Bella's mind. I know that I won't understand it, but I want to learn how to handle her mood swings.

All women should wear mood rings.

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**AN: I know, it's like I fell off the face of the planet, but I'm still here. I'm really sorry, but my life is...crazy. I had major writer's block, but the song that helped me out was 'Mood Ring' by Relient K. Check it out, it's funny. I'm sorry it's so short today, and things will pick up next chapter.**

**FUNFACT: All of the stories that Bella told about her younger self happened to me at some point: I fell into a PB&J sandwich, my cousins locked keys in a running car, I watched as my friends got stuck on a roof looking for an open window and I had to help them down. I will never let them live it down.**

**I finished my story "Inconvenience" and there will be a sequel when this story is over. Thanks to Music ADD and I like reviews, Emma**


	9. Chapter 9: Clothes, Or Lack There Of

Chapter Nine: Clothes, Or Lack There Of

BPOV

I pressed snooze when my alarm went off. All through school, I hated the _beep, beep, beep_ of the alarm. I usually pressed the snooze button at least three times before Charlie made me get out of bed. The hardest thing about college was learning that I couldn't use the magical snooze button or I'd be late to class. By the time my slow brain processed all of those thoughts, the alarm went off again.

"Stupid, damn beeping sound," I muttered, rolling out of bed before I went to sleep again. Fifteen minutes and a hot shower later, I made my way into the main room where Edward and Jasper were already sitting at the table.

"Want a doughnut?" Edward asked with his mouth full. He had powdered sugar on the corner of his mouth and I kinda wanted to lick it off… Get you mind out of the dumpster, I told myself as I reached a hand into the bag of doughnuts, pulling out a chocolate one.

"Don't mind if I do," I said with my mouth full. There is something about starting off the day with a chocolate doughnut that guarantees the rest of the day will work out.

"Didn't either of you learn any manners?" Jasper said in his slight southern accent. He was eating his glazed doughnut with care and looking at the two of us with joking disgust.

"Nope," I told him, popping the 'p'. "I grew up with Charlie."

"Edward, I know Carlisle and Esme, so you don't have excuses," Jasper turned to Edward, who still had that delicious powder on his face.

"Let's just go," Edward said. Jasper grabbed his bag and walked through the door fast. Edward and I picked up what we needed and reached the door at the same time. Our arms bumped and goose bumps erupted up my arm. Both of us tried to slip through the door and ended up sandwiched between the doorframe. I would say it was uncomfortably tight, except…it wasn't uncomfortable to be close to Edward.

"I'll go first," I breathed. Edward flashed a stunning grin at me as I slid through the door. Jasper was staring intently at the wall next to the elevator, smiling a wide, smug smile.

"Are you OK, Coach?" he asked, not meeting my eye. I glared at his back and I know he could feel my eyes burning holes in the back of his head.

"Just fine, _Whitlock_," I hissed. I stressed his last name to make a point. Edward chuckled lightly behind and I nearly cried in relief when the elevator door opened. In another half hour, the whole team was getting out of the bus we rented to get us around Dallas.

"Hey Bella, wait up!" Edward made himself heard over the noise. I stood where I was for a few minutes until Edward caught up. As soon as we opened the doors to the stadium, a Cowboy's cheerleader came out of nowhere and launched herself at Edward.

"Eddie, I can't believe I get to see you again!" she screeched unpleasantly. I was jealous of the way her arms wrapped around his neck. The feeling passed when Edward shrank away from her, shaking off her arms.

"I can't either," he grimaced. I nearly burst into laughter as she puffed out her already double D's and attempted to seem less ditzy.

"When my cousin, Emmett, introduced us last season, I was hoping that we'd meet again. And we did! You wanna catch a movie tomorrow and then, you know, head back to my place?" she drawled and batted her eyelashes. It looked like Edward was about to puke.

"No, I'm not interested in you like that, Tanya. I've got a girlfriend already. She's really sorry that she missed the game, but her grandmother died this week," Edward told her with a sad expression. The cheerleader, Tanya, tried to look sympathetic but it didn't begin to cover the anger that was predominant.

"Well, maybe next season when you're available," she winked. "I'll see you around," she whispered as she brushed her breast across his arms as she slipped by. A flash of jealously shot through me, even though it was obvious he wasn't into her. I don't like anyone being that close to Edward except for myself.

"I hate Emmett for introducing me to Tanya," Edward shuddered as he walked towards the locker rooms. Anger and jealously slipped away as Edward grabbed my hand casually. "Last year, Seattle was still considering hiring me. They assigned Emmett to watch over me and introduce me to the team to see how I fit in. I went to a Cowboy's away game so I could learn what life on the road would be like. Tanya, of course, asked me out before asking my name."

"Seriously?" I snorted as we walked through the doors of the locker room. The team was already changing, but they've gotten used to me being in the locker room while they got dressed. Out of nowhere, a miscellaneous elbow knocked me down. I locked my body, ready to hit the floor, but two strong arms caught me around my waist. I heard someone say, "Sorry, Coach."

"Careful, love," Edward whispered in my ear before pulling me back into a standing position. He let go of everything except my hand and led me to his locker next to Jake's. Jake's eyes went straight to our hands and I reluctantly let go of Edward. My hand immediately missed his skin. I realized then just how much I cared for Edward.

I care for him _a lot_.

And that scared me.

"I've got to go see Billy," I told them quietly. Edward nodded and smiled, clearing my mind of all thoughts. As soon as I turned around, I remembered that I'd been thinking about his choice of 'love' earlier. I rather liked it…. I hurried to Billy as quickly as I could.

"Bella, you have any good plays for today?" he asked as I sat down across from him at the small table.

"I've got a few that I think will work pretty well, though I'll have to tweak a couple because Allan broke his leg," I explained. Billy nodded, understanding how one hurt player changes a lot.

"Good. I trust you to work it out. You will work with Jasper and Edward again, but I'm going to permanently add Emmett to your list of people you need to be in contact with seeing as it worked so well last game. Good luck, Bells. I'm sure Charlie is watching the pre-game show already," he smiled at me kindly before bellowing at a water boy. I took that as my cue and slipped away to find Emmett.

"Hey Emmett, guess what?" I asked playfully as I came up behind him. He was pulling on a shirt and I noticed that he had the muscles of a body builder. Personally, I think too much muscle takes away from the attractiveness of the person, but it seems to work for Rose.

"What?" he played along like a puppy, excited to have a new game.

"I'm going to be talking in your ear and telling you what to do during the whole game!" I cried with false enthusiasm. Emmett smiled back sarcastically.

EPOV

I was minding my own business, warming up in peace on the field. Why did Tanya have to ruin that?

"Eddie! You look really hot in those tights," she called. All the airhead, scantily clad cheerleaders nodded and laughed. Why don't they wear more clothes? What's the point of wearing short-shorts to jump up and down when they could do that in regular clothes? Tanya walked over to me, swaying her hips in a way that made me want to laugh, and rested her hand on my arm.

"Tanya, I'm not interested in you in any way. Could you please go away and let me play football?" My patience was wearing thin. Just then, Bella walked up to join us. Was Bella…jealous? From the anger in her eyes, I would say she was. But I'm just not sure.

"Edward, you need your ear piece. Are you warmed up?" she asked me coldly. Her eyes, however, had hidden and jumbled emotions whirling around inside them.

"Yeah, I guess. Bye, Tanya," I said, hoping she would hear that I didn't want her to come back. I could tell she didn't when she winked. "Leave me the hell alone," I muttered under my breath. I started walking towards the sideline when I noticed Bella wasn't coming.

"If you want me to," Bella whispered softly. She looked hurt, like she was about to cry. I walked towards her, thoroughly confused.

"What are you talking about, Bells?" I asked quietly. Then it clicked. "I wanted _Tanya _to leave me alone, not you. How could you think that?"

"I don't know. It doesn't matter. Come on, the game is about to start," she told me stiffly.

"Bella!" I called after her, but she didn't turn around. I was about to run after her when I felt Jasper's hand on my shoulder.

"Dude, let her go. She'll cool off soon," he said, giving my shoulder a manly pat. I sighed and stared after Bella.

"Man, you've got it _bad_," Emmett said from behind me. I didn't even turn around. I was too busy noticing that, in the Texas sun, Bella's hair had red highlights.

"Come on, the game is starting," Jasper sighed, pulling me to the sideline. And so the game started. Our defense played first and I was content to just watch Bella work. I listened from a distance as she yelled instructions to Emmett while her eyes scanned the field and her page of stats. Then it was my turn. I turned on my ear piece as I walked onto the field.

"Huddle!" I shouted in my 'Billy' voice. My offense huddled around me and I heard an angelic voice in my ear. And it sounded mad.

"Do a normal play that you think is best." I heard the click and knew that was all she was going to say. Maybe she'll tell Jasper something she didn't tell me.

"So, what did Coach say?" Jasper asked, looking expectant. Well, I guess not.

"Run play seventeen D," I told them. I was about to break up the huddle when I caught the disappointed looks on my offense's faces. "I know, but she's not very happy with me right now. I'm not sure why, but I'll figure it out. For now, seventeen D."

"Go Seahawks!" we chanted as we broke up. I tried to push Bella out of my mind and focus on seventeen D. It worked as well as it was ever going to.

I surrounded myself with the smell of sweat and perfectly maintained grass. I turned the play over and over again in my mind, like a towel in the dryer. In a way, that was my 'zone'. I had to get as close as I could mentally and surround myself. I only have to orient myself once at the beginning of every practice or game, and then I was as ready as I could be.

And then the center snapped the ball. It was game time.

Bring it.

BPOV

The first quarter went by smoothly. I tried to focus through my emotions and I did it as well as I could, under the circumstances. I wasn't mad at Edward, but I wanted him so badly that I was confused. When I'm confused, I tend to isolate the people I really want close to me. It's a character flaw of mine. I'll figure out a way to deal with that when the game is over. By the second quarter, I'd broken my silence and talked to Edward.

"They don't expect you to run. So run straight down to the in zone on the Cowboy's sidelines. Don't think, just run," I told him before switching to Jasper. "Edward's going to throw it to you, so take off and go as deep as you can. Just trust me and run."

I felt bad for tricking them, but I had to do it. Jasper had to make them think he was going to catch it, so I had to make Jasper think he was going to catch it too. I knew that we had only twenty-five seconds before the half and I needed _something_. I stood still and silent as the play unfolded. Oh my goodness, Edward could run. He took off like three hundred pound men were chasing after him.

Oh wait, they were. But they didn't catch him. Edward passed a confused Jasper with ease after twenty yards before he was sprinting alone for the last thirty yards, barely beating the clock. The stadium erupted in utter noise. I watched Edward do an artistic flip in mid air as a victory dance of sorts and I had to fight the urge to laugh. I flipped to Edward's ear piece once the noise dulled enough that I could think.

"Great job. Nice gymnastics, by the way," I added before switching to Jasper. "Sorry about that, but I had to make the Cowboys think you were catching it. You'll get your shining moment soon, I promise." I smiled as I watched Jasper and Edward sprint towards me.

"You rock at manipulation and mind games, Coach!" Jasper shouted before he even reached me. I laughed as they squeezed me in between the two of them. I liked being this close to Edward…. Come on Bella, you're confused enough as it is.

"Don't make fun of my gymnastics, love," Edward whispered quietly enough so Jasper wouldn't hear. They let go of me and I started walking with Jasper towards the locker rooms while Edward hung back to talk to Emmett. I turned at the door to look for them and saw Lauren hanging all over Edward.

"Edward, focus on the game," I growled into his ear piece. He looked up at me and took in my expression. The corners of his lips flickered upward and I blushed. My emotions were just so confused lately. I kept walking, grateful that Jasper didn't say anything. I stood up on a bench in the middle of the smelly locker room so that everyone could see me as they gathered around.

"That was a great first half, guys. Everyone played hard and I'm proud of-" I was cut off when someone stepped up on the bench next to me. It was Edward. He wrapped his arms around my waist tightly and kissed me before I could respond.

I don't think I had thoughts at that moment. I had feelings. I was happy and I knew that everything would work out. I was also very surprised. I finally started kissing him back as soon as I got over the shock of a sweaty Greek god touching me. The team let whistles and cat calls, all teasing and happy. He pulled back and my breathing was labored.

"I don't want Tanya. I want you," he whispered under his breath. I smiled softly at him and kissed his cheek quickly. Then I put my 'Coach' face back on and turned to face the team, but this time I had Edward's arm around my waist.

"I don't want this to leave this room. I trust that it won't. If it does, remember I'm your superior. You still owe me the same respect as before," I told them sternly. I cleared my throat dramatically before continuing with, "As I was saying, I'm proud of each and every one of you. I expect an even better second half. So get off your ass and play some football!"

They cheered and wolf whistled a bit more. I turned to smile at Edward and leaned forward to kiss him again. Noticing the whole team was watching, I turned back to them. "Well, go do something with your lives," I shooed them away with a hand.

Well, I couldn't let them think I'd gone soft.

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**AN: My amazing unofficial beta, Music ADD, was unable to check this chapter, so please excuse any typoes that I over looked. I know, I'm updating at a different time today, but that's because I had to edit this chapter and I couldn't get it done this morning.**

**FUNFACT: The top two most listened songs on my iTouch are Curse of Curves by Cute Is What We Aim For and Slow Dancing In a Burning Room by John Mayer.**

**I gave you guys an extra long chapter today and reviews would be appreciated, Emma**


	10. Chapter 10: You Wanna Say That Again?

Chapter Ten: "You Wanna Say That Again?"

BPOV

The second half started and I was on cloud nine. Everything in my life is going pretty good at this point. I had the hot guy, the great job, the great house, and the great friends. We were even winning the game.

Until the fourth quarter. TO barely slipped through Emmett and took off after him like you wouldn't believe. He wasn't quite as fast as Edward though. Let me tell you, I was MAD. Not at Emmett, but just mad in general. I was flipping through my mind and my play book frantically. There's got to be a way to win with…twenty seconds left and four yards to go. I went over all the details of the game in my head, looking for _something. _Then it hit me hard. Oh my goodness, I'm a genius.

"Emmett!" I yelled as I signaled for a timeout. This is our last one, but I had to do it.

"What, Coach?" Emmett asked faithfully.

"Do you know anything about Edward's gymnastic back ground?" I inquired, writing furiously on my clipboard.

"All of us were taught basic flips and tricks when we joined the team. To be limber and flexible, you know?" I nodded quickly and waved him away. I switched on Edward's earpiece and started giving instructions quickly.

"Edward, I know about your gymnastics stuff. I need you to pretend like you're going to try muscling your way through so they'll make one big dog pile. I want you to do a back hand spring, using the pile to push off. Don't give me the look that I can see from here. Trust me and just do it."

I seem to like standing around on pins and needles because it seems to be happening to me a lot lately. So I watched with bated breath as the ball was snapped. I began to relax imperceptibly when all the players bunched together on the line. I smiled when Edward launched himself over the pile of mass and men. My smile widened when he landed on his feet in the in zone.

"I didn't think you were going to do something crazy like that!" Emmett shouted, running over to me. He tackled me to the ground and held me there. I was saved by Edward, who pulled Emmett off of me before tackling me himself. He pinned me down carefully so that I wouldn't take any of Jasper's weight when he joined the pile and Emmett decided he couldn't miss out on this kind of fun. The whole team ended up on a dog pile on top of Edward and me.

"Great play, love," Edward whispered in my ear. I was suddenly aware of how close we were. I smiled widely and kissed his check, lingering until the team began standing up. Edward stood up before any paparazzi could take an incriminating picture of us.

"Swan, that was pretty cool," Billy told me, trying to sound cool and 'hip'. The team laughed heartily until Billy turned his glare on them. Another half hour later, the guys were in the locker room, crowded around the bench where Billy and I stood.

"I've booked the China Garden Buffett for all of us a couple blocks away. You know the rules for our usual: no alcohol, nothing incriminating, blah blah blah," Billy reminded them.

"And remember that little thing at half time?" I asked quickly before they scattered. Their laughter told me that it was still fresh on their minds. "No one outside of this room needs to know until Edward and I decide to tell anyone. Is that understood?" I stared them down.

"Of course, Coach." "Not from us, Coach." "That kiss was hot, Coach." A chorus of voices reassured me.

"Who said that last comment?" I demanded. "What happened to the respect you owe me?" I wasn't mad, I just didn't want that kind of thing to spread and give the whole team a bad reputation.

"Sorry, Coach," Edward smirked at me. No he didn't just say that! I glared at him as laughter bounced off the walls, echoing against the lockers. His smirk slipped off his face when he saw my face. I hopped off the bench and the guys parted for me. I stopped directly in front of Edward, glaring up at him.

"You wanna say that again?" I asked threateningly. He crossed his arms across his chest smugly.

"That kiss was hot, Coach," he repeated slowly, leaning his head closer to me as he spoke. Ugh, I have no idea what do to now.

"I will deal with you later." I was sure to whip in the face with my hair as I turned. A group of 'OH's filled the room as I walked out of the locker room. I really didn't know where I was going, but I have a dramatic side. Three...two…one…. Right on time, the door to the locker room banged opened and Edward flew out.

"Bella, stop, it was just a joke," he said softly, wrapping his arm around my shoulders but I shook it off. I kept walking straight ahead until I spotted an empty room. I pulled Edward into the room and shut the door.

"Did you mean that?" I asked him once I made sure the small room was empty. He nodded quickly, but I cut him off before he could speak. "Then don't say it in from of the team or anyone else."

"Of course love, I'm sorry." Edward smiled and stepped closer to me. He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist and I didn't shake him off. "That kiss was hot, Coach," he whispered. I moved closer to him and Edward leaned his head down so that his lips were hovering just above mine….

"Coach-" The door opened again and Jake stuck his head in. I groaned and turned to look at him.

"What is it, Jake?" I complained. Edward chuckled softly and loosened his hold on me.

"Sorry, Coach," he smiled widely, but continued talking once he took in my expression. "We're leaving in ten minutes and Edward still needs to change. The whole team is looking for you."

"We'll be there soon," Edward waved him out and Jake smirked as he shut the door. "Now, where were we?" he whispered. He lowered his lips to mine and I felt his arms wrap around me tightly. Feelings erupted inside of me as he kissed me gently. It was a soft kiss but I could feel the emotions rolling off of him and into me. Jake banged on the door loudly.

"Coach, Edward! Stop sucking face and get a move on," he yelled through the door. Edward sighed as he pulled back. I tugged him outside the door and pushed him towards the locker room. Once he was gone, I turned to Jake.

"That wasn't very nice," I pouted.

"I know, but we really do need to go if we're going to get back to the hotel before midnight. By the way, I think I've been scarred for life," he added as an afterthought. I rolled my eyes and started towards the locker room myself.

"Bella, come here please," Billy ordered as soon as I opened the door. Whoops. I walked over to him and put on an innocent smile.

"Yes, Billy?"

"Are you and Cullen together now?" he asked seriously and I nodded. "I want this to stay on a need-to-know basis. I don't want the press to know about his. Any PDA is unacceptable. You have to treat him like you do the rest of the team. Is that understood?"

"Of course, Billy. I can promise nobody will know about this." I couldn't really promise that, but Edward and I will try our hardest. Billy swallowed my promise before announcing that it was time to eat. A lot of hungry and tired men file out the door, but I noticed Edward wasn't with them. After a glance around, I saw Edward pulling on a shirt. I got a quick glimpse of his abs and I couldn't stop staring at the shirt that covered the perfect muscles I knew were underneath.

"Are you OK, Bella?" Edward smiled smugly.

"Just fine, Edward," I smiled back at him, playing it off casually. We walked out of the locker room with an appropriate distance between us. The bus was crowded and the 'no touching' rule disappeared once we were away from the threat of cameras. I went to sit next to him, but Edward surprised me by pulling my body onto his lap.

"So, do you think we did OK in the game?" Edward asked nonchalantly, like it wasn't a big deal that I was sitting on his lap.

EPOV

I think I'm dreaming. First of all, I kissed Bella. Second, I kissed Bella again. Lastly, Bella was sitting comfortably in my lap.

Yep, definitely dreaming. It was just now sinking in and I was overwhelmed. After the past weeks, it's hard to believe this was really happening. But I decided to enjoy the dream before I woke up.

"So, do you think we did OK in the game?" I asked her as normal sounding as possible. I would hate to scare her away.

"All things considered, everything went well," her angelic voice told me confidently. Everything about her made me love her more, like the strong words came out of a soft mouth. I just stared at her face, taking in every detail I could absorb. My hand, on its own accord, reached up to trace her facial features. Her nose curved gently to round point and her cheek bones were soft, but yet defined simultaneously. She had a widow's peak and a flawless skin tone.

"Edward, not that I mind, but what are you doing?" the angel whispered softly. Yep, I probably scared her away. My hand was cupping her cheek and my other arm around her waist, but her only response was to move closer.

"I'm about to kiss you," I told her matter of factly. The only part of her face that I hadn't touched yet were her lips. I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers softly as I could, lingering there.

"Get a room!" Emmett called loudly. Well, I just crash landed on Planet Earth. I forgot there were other people in the world and Emmett's voice was not the kindest wake up call.

"You can't talk, Emmett. We can't hold a candle to the PDA you and Rose display on a daily basis," I told him calmly. By now the whole bus was listening and cat calls were being made at my comment. Emmett was about to respond when the smell of egg rolls reached us and there was a race to see who could get to the sweet and sour chicken first.

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to," I apologized, thoroughly embarrassed. What was I thinking?

"Don't worry about it, I didn't mind at all," Bella winked at me before walking off the bus. I seem to stay a step behind for these past five minutes. I feel like my brain was in a fog and I'm just now waking up. I'm going crazy and it's all Bella's fault. Once my body caught up with my mind, I started sprinting after Bella. I hated having to keep a respectable space between us when all I wanted to do was hold her. I looked around the restaurant for her and I found her sitting in a huge booth with Jake, Emmett, Billy, Embry, and Jasper.

"May I join you?" I asked, just to sound polite. I slid into the seat next to Bella before waiting for their answers.

"Sure. Where were you guys when we were waiting on you in the locker room?" Embry asked. I didn't spend much time with Embry, but from what I know of him he's a pretty cool guy. Bella coughed uneasily before attempting to answer.

"Well, we were in the…and Jake found us…."

"I got a lecture on how my comment was inappropriate and I had to promise to never do it again," I summed up quickly. I could tell by Embry's face that he understood and was embarrassed that he asked. The rest of the table was laughing at Embry.

"I think I'm going to get some food now." Bella stood up awkwardly and tried to slip past me gracefully but ended up tripping over my feet. The quick reflexes I needed on the field came in handy as I stuck my leg out to catch her lower back and my arm reached out to support her neck. "Nice catch," she muttered.

"No problem, love."

I think I'm losing it, and 'it' is my heart and mind simultaneously.

I'm loving every minute of it.

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**AN: I'm really sorry it took this long, I've had major writer's block on top of a busy schedule. I don't like this chapter very much and it's relatively short, but I gave you guys an especially good and long one last time. **

**FUNFACT: This week they made us choose our classes for high school. That's fine, but then we had to pick a career pathway!!! Since when do fourteen yr. olds know what they want to do until they're old? I chose fine arts because I'm taking band anyway, but I know I'm not doing anything in music for a career.**

**Thanks for reading, I love all of you and your amazing feed back, and I like reveiws. Emma**


	11. Chapter 11: The Bachelor

Chapter Eleven: The Bachelor

BPOV

I collapsed onto my bed, beyond excited that I was home again. I don't get home sick but there is no place like home, to use a cliché.

"Bella, I'm ordering pizza!" Edward called throughout our apartment. Now it is really just ours because Jasper and Alice have officially moved in together. I

think they make a cute couple and I'm happy for both of them. I stood up and made my way to the kitchen to get our drinks. We can unpack later.

"Grab me a supreme," I told him as I opened the fridge. I pulled out a couple of the sparkly herb-infused drinks in glass bottles and went to stand in the living room. I picked up the remote and tried to find a good game. There wasn't anything important happening in the world of sports, other than our huge upset yesterday, of course. I finally found The Bachelor and a flood of memories came flooding back.

_It was my fifteenth birthday. Jake, Billy, and Charlie told me that, even though a big game was on, I got to pick what we were going to watch. I decided that, since all three of them had played a horrible prank involving my hair and scissors, that a girly show would be perfect. The Bachelor was on, a show that I never had any desire to watch, and seemed to be something that all the guys would hate. I will never forget Jake's screams of "My eyes, I think my eyes are bleeding!" _

I started when I felt Edward's arms wrap around my waist. I slapped his arm and whirled around to face him. Instead of letting go, he hugged me closer. His scent surrounded me and I hugged him back. We stayed like that, hugging in the middle of the living room, for a few more peaceful seconds before Edward sat on the couch and pulled me down on his lap.

"What are you watching, love?" he asked me softly.

"The Bachelor." I snuggled closer to him and he tucked my head under his chin. I was sitting on Edward's lap sideways with my feet dangling over the arm of the couch. I don't think I'll ever want to move from this position.

"May I ask why?" He sounded curious, probably because it was so unexpected.

"It reminds me of my fifteenth birthday and I don't think you want to know why." I smiled up at him from my comfy position.

"I want to know everything about you," he told me, staring into my eyes. I got lost in them before the sweetness of his words sank in.

"Thanks, but it's not important," I shrugged it off. The doorbell rang and I reluctantly got up to grab the pizza.

"Anything you want to tell me is important," he called after me as I opened the door. I smiled widely at the pizza guy. Well, not _at_ the pizza guy, but he was in the path of my happiness.

"Twenty five dollars even," the teenager told me. I smiled again and thanked him, signing the receipt before shutting the door. I sat back down on Edward's lap and handed him the pizza box after taking out a slice for myself.

"You shouldn't have paid for that," Edward told me sternly. I rolled my eyes and nibbled at the crust. "That kid wrote his number on the receipt!" Edward nearly yelled.

"I'm not going to call him. Maybe in another ten years," I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"That's not funny. I never would've been that bold with women, especially one as beautiful as you," he ranted. I muted my laughter and sat my pizza on the box next to us. I repositioned myself so my arms were wrapped around his neck and my face was mere inches from his. I waited for him to make the first move. He crashed his lips on mine and I responded gently.

"You seem pretty bold to me," I smirked at him smugly.

"That isn't fair and you know it." His voice sounded stern but his eyes held nothing but amusement. My only response was to smile sweetly and take another unlady-like bite of pizza. Edward sighed and started on his own slice. We watched The Bachelor in peace for another few minutes before I broke the silence.

"How can people really fall in love on this show? We just watched this dude kiss three different girls in less than an hour. I don't think he can say that he's fallen in love with all of these people when that kind of love should be exclusive," I ranted for a bit. I was surprised when Edward burst into laughter. "Do you disagree?" His expression sobered quickly.

"No, not at all. I agree one hundred percent. But you look cute when you're angry," he chuckled. I rolled my eyes and snuggled into his chest.

EPOV

I woke up to sun streaming through the window. I groaned and tried to turn over, but something was in my way. I didn't have to open my eyes to know it was Bella. Her smell permeated the air around me and made me light headed. When I did open my eyes, I knew I didn't ever want to close them again.

Bella's hair was spread around her head like a halo. Her head was resting on my shoulder and the weight was comfortable and natural. She was curled into a ball with her hands on my chest. I was lying on my back and she was tucked into my side. Her breathing was steady and soothing while her hair was crazy and tangled. She sighed lightly and her eyelids fluttered open softly like butterfly wings.

Whoa, since when was I that poetic?

"Good morning," she grumbled and wormed her way closer to me. I leaned her chin up with my finger and kissed her softly. I want to wake up like this every morning.

"Good morning love," I breathed, tucking her head back on my shoulder.

"You know what I really want?" she pouted. She looked so cute I had to give her another soft kiss.

"No, I don't. Feel free to enlighten me," I joked.

"I want a strawberry smoothie and a chocolate doughnut." That sounds like a nasty combo, but hey, if it works for her…

"We'll go next door later. I don't want to move," I muttered into her hair. Before I knew it, Bella was tickling my stomach. "Stop! Fine, we'll go now. Happy?"

"Yes, I am. I'll be right back," she smiled innocently as she stood up and walked into her room. In another five minutes, Bella opened the door, fully dressed in a casual skirt and a tank top. "Come on, I'm hungry," she insisted, grabbing my hand and pulling me out the door. She dropped my hand once we were outside the door, keeping our cover.

"How are you this morning?" I asked to keep the conversation flowing.

"Just great," Bella smiled up at me. We made it to the counter and that Tyler guy was there again.

"Well, hello _Bella_," he smiled at her. "I've been watching the news and I recognized you. So you're dating the quarterback after all?"

"No, I told you that so you would leave me alone," Bella insisted and I just hoped that Tyler wouldn't notice the obvious lie.

"Right. Well, if you decide to dump lover boy over there, you know where I am. What would you like?" Shit. This isn't good at all. We ordered and found seats in the most secluded part of the coffee shop. We tried to sit with a proper amount of space between us, but it was hard. I had to reach out and grab her hand, just to keep something touching. There wasn't anything to say for a while.

"Here you go, you don't have to walk up to the counter," Tyler smiled, coming up behind us with our food. He handed Bella her breakfast politely and shoved mine in my face. Bella didn't say anything to Tyler, choosing to take a sip of her smoothie instead. Tyler's expression soured and he stormed away noisily.

"That guy can't take a hint," she huffed under her breath once he was out of ear shot. I chuckled lightly, even though I didn't find him amusing at all. "So, what are we doing today?" she asked, her voice doing a one-eighty.

"I hope you don't mind, but I have plans with Emmett and Jasper. Rose and Alice are coming over to keep you company," I explained. The three of us were going to do something manly and have some manly bonding time.

"That sounds great. I haven't been around any women for a while," she joked.

Wow, she woke up on the right side of the couch this morning.

BPOV

"Bella!" Alice screamed with her soprano voice as she catapulted into the living room. Rose, in contrast, walked in after Alice and shut the door behind her.

"Alice!" I yelled back at her. I pulled her into a hug, which she responded to by squeezing me with more force than I would've expected from such a tiny woman. I calmed myself and hugged Rose. "Hey girls, what's up?" I asked them, flopping on the coach. They took seats on either side of me and I was stoked to have some female company. Edward and Jake are great, but they aren't girls.

"You know I've moved in with Jasper," Alice started. I nodded and Rose winked and raised an eyebrow. I laughed at her before quieting down to hear what Alice had to say. "I now know for sure that he's perfect." Rose snorted.

"Perfect for _you_, but not perfect in general. I lived with him for eighteen years and I didn't find it a blast." Alice rolled her eyes and continued.

"He made me breakfast this morning and he's taking me out to dinner tonight. He cleans up after himself and lets me pick what we eat, even though we don't like the same foods. He even watched The Bachelor with me last night," she squealed. Rose's eyes widened at the last comment.

"Emmett won't do that for me," she sighed.

"Edward watched it with me last night too." I was confused. Was that a big deal? Rose and Alice turned to stare at me with dumbfounded eyes. "What?"

"He loves you," Rose stated confidently.

"He loves you _a lot_," Alice reinforced. I shook my head and laughed at them.

"What's the big deal? He just watched a girly show with me." He couldn't love me…could he? I shook my head to clear those treacherous thoughts.

"Bella, all guys hate The Bachelor. I know Edward especially detests it because it's so shallow and has nothing to do with sports," Alice told me matter-of-factly.

"It makes them feel like their manhood is threatened. It takes a lot to make them watch The Bachelor. You must mean a lot to him," Rose said in the same tone as Alice.

"I doubt it," I insisted. They rolled their eyes and changed the subject to Emmett and Rose. I stood up and grabbed some sodas for us and sat back down.

"What is it with you and muscles, Rose?" Alice asked. "All of the boyfriends I've heard about were buff."

"I don't know, I never thought about it like that," she tapped her chin in mock thoughtfulness. "How come none of your boyfriends have been buff, Alice?"

"Fine, I haven't thought about that either," Alice admitted. "So Bella, what have your boyfriends been like?"

"I haven't really had a boyfriend. I just went on a couple of dates and ended up being friends with all of them," I shrugged. It didn't bother me because I made a lot of good friends by dating around. They stared at me again with incredulous eyes.

"But you're gorgeous!" Alice said loudly. I blushed and opened my mouth to speak, but Rose cut me off.

"What guy, who had a chance with you, would want you to be _friends_?" Rose said in complete disbelief.

"Um…my friends?" I whispered, taken aback at their reactions.

"Wrong answer," Alice told me.

"You were going for idiots," Rose answered for me.

"So you think Jake, Emmett, and Jasper are idiots?" I asked a question I hoped would stump them.

"Jacob is practically your brother. It would be like incest," Alice said without skipping a beat.

"Besides, they don't have a chance with you," Rose said calmly right after Alice finished.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. Anyone want lunch?" I changed the subject. They nodded and I walked to the kitchen while they took seats at the bar. "How do sandwiches sound?"

"Good," they said at the same time and Alice and Rose started laughing freely. I loved their relationship. They were best friends and even thought on the same wavelength. And I was invited to join their circle.

"White or wheat?" I asked again.

"White," Alice and Rose answered in unison. That set off another round of laughter. I flipped on the radio as I laughed along with them and started the sandwiches. By the time I was almost done, all three of us were dancing around the kitchen and making a game of not hitting the island in the middle. I managed to make the sandwiches while dancing.

"Grab a sandwich," I called over the music that Alice had just turned up. The two of them twirled towards me and grabbed a sandwich, eating without stopping their spins. Another three songs later and all of us were collapsed on the couch, the music still turned way up.

"That was a good sandwich, Bella," Rose said, licking the peanut butter off her fingers in an unlady-like fashion.

"After years of babysitting and cooking for Charlie, I had to become a master PB&J maker." We all laughed, everything seeming funnier after a crazy dance around the house and pop music blaring from the kitchen.

"Wait, who's Charlie?" Alice asked me with her mouth full of her last bite.

"My dad, but I don't ever call him that. Everyone calls him Charlie," I explained.

"We'll have to meet him then. Oh Bella, you have to meet my parents," Alice squealed, excited by the idea.

"Mine too. They'd love you," Rose smiled at me.

I have the best best friends I could've hoped for.

* * *

**AN: Two updates in one day, I'm very proud of myself. I just updated 'Lizzi', the sequel to 'Inconvenience' if you haven't already checked it out. **

**FUNFACT: I hit shuffle on my iTouch last night and this was what it came up with: John Mayor, Britney Spears, Veggie Tales Theme Song, Train, Backstreet Boys, and Matchbox Twenty. I know, I'm a freak. **

**I've been working my poor unofficial beta, Music ADD, to death. Thanks for reading and I like reviews, Emma**


	12. Chapter 12: Basketball

Chapter Twelve: Basketball

EPOV

"Bella, I'm back!" I called through the apartment. After spending the afternoon grilling in Alice and Jasper's backyard, I wanted to chill out.

"In my room," her voice drifted back towards me. Bella was lying on her stomach on top of her comforter, reading a worn out book. She looked up as I walked in and patted the spot next to her as I walked in.

"How long have Rose and Alice been gone?" I asked her, taking the spot next to her on the bed.

"Not very long. I had a lot of fun this afternoon," she told me, looking back down at her book.

"That's good," I said, trying to get her attention. She merely nodded, her attention focused south.

I sighed and tipped her chin up with my finger. I kissed her softly and she responded, pulling me down. The kiss lost its gentleness quickly. Her arms wrapped around my neck and my hands, planted on either side of her head, were supporting my weight. Her hands were incredibly soft on the back of my neck. And that was my cue to stop. I pulled back reluctantly and kissed her cheek.

"I like that greeting better," I smiled cheekily at her.

"Really? Me too." Her voice was breathy and I could feel her heart race. I smiled wider at her reaction and she caught the expression, looking confused. I would've moved, but I really didn't want to. Bella's arms tightened around my neck, not letting me go either. We stayed in that position for a few silent eternities until Bella untangled her arms and reached behind her back, pulling out her book.

"Is that an interesting book?" I teased her a bit.

"Actually, it is." She glared at me jokingly for a second before sliding out from under me lithely. "I need some exercise. Where's the best place to shoot some hoops?" she asked, pulling some shorts and a T-shirt out of her dresser.

"I'll join you. The best court is only a few minutes away." I couldn't pass up the chance to see her play. I could tell when she caught that pass before the first game that she's really athletic. A few minutes later, we were both in my Volvo and waiting at a stoplight. In her basketball shoes, shorts, and T-shirt, Bella looked great.

"You didn't have to come with me," she told me quietly. I reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly.

"I want to spend as much time with you as I can." She couldn't doubt the sincerity in my voice. "And I can't wait to see you play," I smiled, the most important reason coming out.

"Just so you know, I'm gonna kick your ass," she smiled smugly. I know she must be good, but she can't be that good.

"We shall see, love. We shall see." I pulled into a parking spot and walked with her into the public recreational center. There were three basketball courts in the center with a walking track on the second floor so they could watch the basketball players while they walk. Two of the courts were filled with elementary school kids, which left the middle for us.

"Are you ready for this?" she joked, smiling widely and innocently.

"I am, but I'm not sure you are," I teased. She froze and, out of instinct, I did too. Before I knew what was happening, Bella had stolen the ball I was dribbling idly and was halfway to the basket. She jumped and did a perfect lay-up. "OK, I guess you are," I admitted, slightly stunned, as I caught up to her. She smirked and walked to the middle of the court.

"Jump ball or coin toss?" she asked, tucking the ball under her arm after she reached the center.

"Jump ball." I figured that, since I had at least a few inches on her, this would be easy. She tossed it up and my whole body tensed for half a second before the adrenaline took over. I jumped and stretched my fingertips out towards the ball.

I got the jump ball by centimeters.

OK, that wasn't as easy as I expected. But, I told myself, I'd warm up and we should be evenly matched. I used my body to block Bella and dribbled my way to the goal. She hasn't tried to reach around me because she knew that would be a foul, but the second I turned around to shoot, she slapped the ball out of my hand. I sighed and took off at my fastest sprint and I still barely caught up with her.

Once at the goal, she turned and faked right. I lunged and, if she had shot, would've blocked the ball. Instead of shooting, she went the other way and I barely caught myself before I fell. The jump shot dropped in the basket with a swoosh.

"I'm trying really hard not to be a sore looser." I stared at her, amazed at what that little body could do.

"And I'm trying not to be a sore winner," she smirked at me, smugness radiating from her.

"You're failing," I laughed at her. Her smile widened and she tossed me the ball before sprinting to the other side of the middle line. I shook my head and the game continued.

I wasn't too far behind her, but Bella was undoubtedly better. We lost track of everything around us and focused on each other and the ball. Basketball, whatever they tell you in elementary school, is a contact sport. You have to get close to your defender to slip past them or use your body as a shield. As a high school basketball coach once told me, 'you have to put you gravy in their mash potatoes'. I always found it awkward when scrimmaging with my teammates, but it was anything but awkward with Bella. When the score was thirty-twenty two with Bella in the lead, I decided it was time to call it quits.

"I surrender!" I held up my arms in the universal sign of defeat. Bella smiled at my childish gesture and pulled me into a hug. I released her and finally took in our surroundings. The kids had left and Bella and I had an audience: some tough street players. One of them, who towered over me by a good few inches, came up to Bella and me.

"We watched you two play and both of you got skills. Would you like to join our game? We're four on four and you two would complete our teams," he said. His voice was as deep and imposing as he looked. But my innocent Bella smiled widely at him and, not intimidated in the least, shook his hand.

"We'd love to. My name is Bella and this is Edward," she introduced us.

"My name is Jayden and this is…" he listed the names of all the men behind him. After that, the was game on. We played man-to-man and, of course, Jayden wanted Bella. I got a tall man named Josh and I was glad to see we were evenly matched. Bella and I were on opposite teams, though I think they did that because they saw how competitive we get. As soon as the game started, I let the adrenaline take me over. I ran fast and hard, my shots were accurate, and my defense was the correct passive aggressive.

And Bella still scored twice as many points as I did on a man who was over a foot taller than her. She was the star of the game. For the first two seconds, the guys went easy on her. After her first three point shot, which was nothing but net, they began double-teaming her. And she still kicked ass. My baby can play some B-ball with the best of them. These guys were hard core and intense, with skill to boot. After a hard hour of one-on-one with Bella and then another hour with the guys, I was ready to collapse.

"Good game, man," I shook Josh's hand.

"You too, dude. You aren't bad for a white kid from the rich part of town." He said it jokingly, so I knew it was OK to laugh along.

"I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not." After letting go of his hand, I went to find Bella. I spotted her talking to Jayden a few feet away. I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. She responded unconsciously by leaning back against my chest.

"Thanks for letting us play, it was fun." I untangled one arm to shake Jayden's hand, and his grip was strong.

"Thank _you_ for playing with us. This Bella of yours is something else," he smiled at her. Bella, being the adult she is, stuck her tongue out at him, causing Jayden to laugh loudly. We shook hands with the group and exchanged numbers with Jayden so we could meet up again. Bella and I slipped out and buckled into the front seat of the Volvo, thoroughly exhausted.

"OK, I feel a lot better now," Bella announced. "That was the kind of exercise I was looking for. Playing with you was fun, but playing with all the guys was a challenge."

"I was _fun_?" I asked, incredulous. "Way to make a man feel inferior."

"That's not what I meant and you know it. Jayden was a better defender than you were, but he wasn't as good of an offensive player. Don't worry, I still like you more," she teased. Bella leaned across the consol and gave me a playful peck on the cheek. We hopped out of my Volvo and walked hand-in-hand up the stairs. I reached into my pocket to grab my keys and unlocked the door, letting us in.

"What do you want to do for the rest of today?" I asked, pulling her down next to me on the couch.

"Nothing, except take a shower." She stood up before she was settled in the couch.

"You know, I should take a shower too." I stood up next to her because I wasn't ready to let her get too far away. "I think that, for the sake of conserving water and helping the ozone layer, we should take a shower together," I suggested, pulling her closer.

"Ha, not happening." Bella pulled back and skipped to her room, leaving me to stare after her.

BPOV

I welcomed the feeling of hot water as it flowed over my aching muscles. Even though I was sore, I felt better than I have in the past couple weeks. I enjoy getting to stretch my muscles and show off a bit in front of Edward. Basketball had always been _my sport_ through school. Football was my strategy game, while basketball was my physical game. After finishing my shower, I hoped out and threw on my PJs, which consisted of boy shorts and a tank top.

"What do we have that I can cook?" I asked, stepping out of my room to find a clean Edward sitting at the bar in the kitchen. I froze.

He wasn't wearing a shirt.

OK, I've seen him without a shirt on a couple occasions. Like my first morning in our apartment and I caught a glimpse at the last game. But that was _before_. Before I started dating him. That seems to have changed everything. Now, I'm not the type to fawn over every well-built man, but this was _my _Edward. And my Edward looked good.

"I think you should put a shirt on," I suggested, still not taking my eyes off him. Seriously, who has abs like that? Well, other than Edward.

"Why would I do that, love?" he asked, taking a step towards me so that we were almost touching. OK, now he was teasing me and he knew it.

"It's taking a lot of restraint right now and I think you should put on a shirt before my brain combusts." He really needed to take a step back. But instead, he ran his finger up my bare arm and I shivered. "Please, go put on a shirt," I whispered breathlessly. Well, whispers always sound breathy but…he _really _needs a shirt.

"Your wish is my command, love." He smirked and brushed his bare chest against my exposed arm. That was on purpose and totally uncalled for. I closed my eyes and stood frozen until I heard Edward's door shut. I let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. What should I do now? I thought to myself. Maybe I'll cook some food. That's what I came in here for, right?

Jeez Bella, chill out, I scolded myself. I made it to the fridge and found some frozen egg rolls. They looked good and they weren't passed their expiration date, so I went ahead and put them in the oven. I stood in the middle of the kitchen, completely at a loss for what to do. My head jerked up when Edward opened his door, still looking amazing in a white wife-beater.

"Better?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and spreading out his arms.

"Unfortunately," I sighed. Edward looked confused but didn't say anything. He wrapped his arms around my neck and pulled my nose to his chest, which smelled amazing. Edward had a scent all his own. It wasn't cologne, deodorant, or body wash. I don't really want to figure it out. Rather, I'll let it be something I can enjoy without understanding.

"Your hair smells good, love," Edward told me, burying his head in my wet hair.

"I don't think anyone has ever told me that before," I said right as the buzzer on the oven went off.

"What are you cooking?" he asked as I pulled away from him. His question was answered when I opened the oven. "I'll grab the duck sauce."

Both of us sat at the bar, eating in silence. It wasn't awkward at all. It was weirdly calming and made me feel at peace.

I love being able to eat egg rolls in silence with Edward.

* * *

**AN: I know, it's crazy how little I've been updating! I'm sorry and I'll try my hardest to be better.**

**FUNFACT: I love Tetris and I spend a lot of down time playing it on my iTouch.**

**My unofficial beta, Music ADD, saves you guys from having to read a lot of crap. Thanks for reading and I like reviews, Emma**


	13. Chapter 13: Happy Birthday

Chapter Thirteen: Happy Birthday

EPOV

I woke up smiling. Well, I wasn't smiling when my alarm went off at five thirty so I could make it to the six o'clock practice, but yesterday had been such a good day that I was still happy in the morning. Half asleep, I pulled on my practice uniform then ran into a sleepy Bella as she came out of her bedroom.

"Good morning, beautiful," I said, sounding as awake as I could.

"Good morning, handsome," she responded, giving me a slight smile. We ate a quick breakfast, bolted out the door, ran down the stairs, and ran for the Volvo. The ride to the arena was dark and silent, neither of us awake enough to make conversation. Ten minutes after leaving our flat, we were in the locker room with the rest of the team.

"Emmett, where's Billy?" I asked him softly, noticing he was missing.

"I haven't seen him at all this morning." Emmett was wide awake, which just wasn't fair. Not ten seconds after Emmett spoke, the doors of the locker room flew open and hit the wall with a 'bang'.

"Bella, Edward, read this and tell me what you think." Billy sounded angry as he stomped over to where Bella and I were standing. Bella took the paper he was at her. "Read it aloud," he insisted, crossing his arms across his chest. Bella looked scared but began to read aloud:

_"Isabella Swan, the new head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, and Edward Cullen, the Seattle Seahawk's rookie quarterback, denied any romantic involvement in a press conference recently. We have received a hint that suggests otherwise. A witness, who would like to remain anonymous, said this about the couple: 'In the past couple of weeks, they've been coming into the café on a regular basis. Before the press conference, Isabella and Cullen came in together. They were obviously very close and calling each other 'honey'. More recently, they've come in before nine in the morning together, holding hands.'_

_"Nothing is proven now, but all evidence suggests that Swan and Cullen are romantically involved. In the press conference, they admitted that they live in the same building on the same floor, but you decide what judgements to make-" _

"Seriously?" Bella asked, dumbfounded. I walked the couple steps separating us and wrapped my arms around her. It didn't matter any more, the team knew before the article came out anyway. Bella buried her face in my chest and her breathing was ragged and heavy. I met Billy's eyes, which held kindness and anger simultaneous. My eyes were pleading.

Billy took a deep breath before bellowing, "I want to know who is responsible for this. Who gave this interview? Who-" I cut him off before he got any farther.

"Coach, we know who it is. Trust me; it's nobody on the team. I would tell you who, but I don't want the team arrested for violence." I was angry enough to do something rash, but Bella let out a sob and I knew she would never let me beat that Tyler kid to a pulp. My arms instinctively tightened around her, squeezing her reassuringly.

"Bella, take the day off," Billy said in the softest voice I'd ever heard from him. Bella nodded weakly against my chest. "Maybe Edward should go with you." We both nodded this time and I started to pull her to the door. The team parted for us, fuming silently.

"Happy birthday, Edward," Jasper whispered as I walked by. Oh. I'd forgotten. My birthday has never been anything special to me. But wait, how does Jasper know it's my birthday? I raised my eyebrows and he explained, "Alice." I nodded in understanding before pulling Bella out of the room by her waist. Once out of the locker room, I led Bella into an empty room and shut the door behind me.

"It'll be OK, love," I whispered, sliding down the wall onto the floor. I tucked her into my chest and noticed that her tears had stopped. I rocked her for a few moments before speaking again. "What's wrong honey?"

"Now the whole world is going to think I'm a slut," she said hoarsely.

"You aren't a slut in any way so don't even think that," I insisted.

"Edward, that's what they're going to think. 'You decide what judgments to make'? They're suggesting that I hop over to your room every night. How else would you read it?" she demanded, ranting. I opened my mouth to say something soothing, but I stopped as a thought hit me.

"Do you…regret us?" I asked hesitantly. I couldn't live with myself if I knew I had caused her to regret her decisions. She looked up at my quickly, her expression startled.

"I don't regret anything so don't even think like that," she said, using my own words against me.

"I just don't want you to have any regrets," I pressed. Bella lifted her hand to my cheek and leaned forward slowly.

"How can I regret something that's made me the happiest I've ever been?" she whispered. Bella pressed her lips to mine softly and sweetly, showing me that she was telling the truth. I pulled away grudgingly when I remembered that she probably needed to rest after all the emotional trauma of today.

"Come on, let's get you home," I whispered into her ear, kissing her cheek as I pulled back. The ride home was fairly uneventful, seeing as neither of us knew what to say. Later, we'll have to decide what to do on the subject of going public with our relationship. I grabbed her hand and pulled her up the main staircase, not particularly caring who saw any more.

"I'm sorry for making such a big deal out of that article earlier," Bella apologized as I searched my pockets for the key.

"You've got nothing to feel sorry about, love," I told her softly, begging her to believe me. I managed to unlock the door and ease it open, not turning around because my attention was focused on Bella. But when she gasped, I spun around on my heel.

"Mom, Dad, Alice: what are you doing here?"

BPOV

I looked over Edward's arm and was greeted by three people putting up streamers all over my living room. I recognized Alice immediately because she was standing on a ladder nearly seven feet off the ground. There were a man and a woman I hadn't met before, but Edward had said they were his parents.

"Edward, Bella, you guys weren't supposed to be home for another hour at least!" Alice cried, climbing off the ladder. She ran up to hug me tightly.

"Did you read the paper this morning?" Edward asked through clenched teeth. They looked at each other with worried expressions before nodding in unison.

"Yeah, it was pretty bad," I said shortly, cutting off the direction of that conversation. My eyes drifted over to the two people in the room I haven't met. Edward must've noticed because he stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"Mom and Dad, this is Bella. Bella, these are my parents Carlisle and Esme," Edward introduced us. I shook hands with Carlisle and he smiled at me warmly. Esme pulled me into a tight hug like she was my own mother.

"It's so nice to meet you, Bella. Out children haven't found enough great things to say about you," Esme said kindly, letting me out of the hug. As soon as she let me go, I started looking around the room. There were streamers, balloons, and I could smell a chocolate cake in the oven.

"Um, not to sound rude or anything…but is there a specific reason you're here?" Edward asked hesitantly.

"It's your birthday, duh!" Alice sang, pulling Edward into a hug. Meanwhile, my heart was breaking. I thought we were something serious, but apparently I'm not important enough to know his _birthday_. I plan to tell him about my birthday coming up in a couple weeks. Why didn't he tell me?

"Bella, can I talk to you for a second?" Edward voice broke through the fog of thoughts. I nodded numbly and followed him into the kitchen. I could feel three pairs of eyes on my back as I walked. "Bella, talk to me," Edward begged once we were in the kitchen and out of eyesight. I waited to start talking until I could hear sounds in the living room.

"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?" I whispered, staring into his eyes. I watched as his green eyes filled with remorse.

"I am so sorry this hurt you. Really, I didn't think it was a big deal. My birthdays just aren't important to me." His voice was thoroughly apologetic and the sentiment was reflected in his eyes.

"So…you didn't tell me because you thought we weren't….serious?" By the end, I was talking so fast it came out jumbled and I was staring at his shoes. Edward let out a breath and I felt his soft hand under my chin. I looked up reluctantly to find his face closer than I expected.

"I am very serious when it comes to you, love," he whispered, his breath blowing across my face. OK, now he just makes me feel like I'm an overreacting, bitching, and complaining, hormonal pregnant woman.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to start freaking out on you. Earlier in the locker room and now-" His hand cut me off. I would've blushed and looked down but his hand was still under my chin. He moved the hand from over my mouth to behind my neck. He pulled my face to his and kissed me sweetly. All the doubts left me along with my other thoughts.

"Don't be sorry. I should've realized it was important to you," he smiled at me lightly but his eyes told me he was serious. He used his fingertips to brush the hair off my forehead softly. He's being so sweet that it makes me feel even worse about my own behavior. His arms moved to my waist and he just held me close. Someone cleared their throat from behind us and we jumped a mile apart.

"I'm sorry, but the cake is burning," Esme smiled apologetically. Edward pulled me from the kitchen to Alice and Carlisle, who were sitting on the couch. I took a seat between Edward and Alice, sinking into the cushions.

"So Alice, how'd you get a key to my apartment?" Edward asked with a smirk on his face.

"Jasper still had his key from before he moved in with me," Alice explained.

"Ah, I see," Edward nodded his head knowingly.

"Edward dear, can you give me a hand in the kitchen?" Esme called to the living room.

"Couldn't Alice-" One look from Esme cut him off and he made his way to the kitchen.

EPOV

I knew this was coming, but I wasn't looking forward to it.

"You and Bella looked cozy earlier," Mom hinted heavily. I grunted noncommittally. Mom glared at me briefly before I finally sighed deeply.

"Yes, we're 'dating', for lack of a better word. I think I love her, actually. So the press got something right, though we weren't together before the press conference. Nothing happened until Dallas, so you haven't missed out on much. Yes, I live with her. No, I haven't slept with her. Happy?" I said quickly, getting it all out.

"You love her?" Mom whispered. I nodded and her eyes started to tear up.

"Mom, don't cry." I stepped forward and hugged her gently. "You're still the first woman I loved," I joked.

"I'm just so happy you aren't gay after all," she half cried/half laughed in my shirt. I pulled back quickly to see if she was serious. She was.

"I wanted to wait for 'the right one' and I didn't' want to date people I didn't truly care about," I explained. I thought I heard Mom cough 'gay' stealthily, but I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that.

"I thought I wasn't going to get any grandkids from you, unless you adopted. But they wouldn't have your eyes!" I rolled my eyes at her. Really, I'M NOT GAY!

"Mother…" I warned quietly.

"OK, OK. On a more serious note, have you told her you loved her?" Mom asked, looking at me intensely.

"No, but I'm getting around to it. I'll tell her soon, I promise," I smiled reassuringly at her. She squealed quietly and I remembered that Alice took after Mom in some ways.

"I'll let you go back to your Bella," she laughed lightly. I hadn't realized I was inching towards the living room, but I'm glad she picked up on it.

"It was nice talking to you, Mother." I jokingly bowed and tipped an imaginary hat before backing into the living room. I started breathing easier once my eyes landed on Bella. Her face lit up in a smile and the second I sat down, I grabbed her hand tightly. Alice and Dad were talking amongst themselves and didn't notice me arriving.

"How are you, love?" I whispered in her ear. She shivered lightly and rested her back against my arm casually.

"I like your family," she smiled up at me. "How was it, 'helping in the kitchen'?" Her smile turned into a smirk.

"Just wonderful, I missed you though," I pouted. Bella rolled her deep brown eyes and I resisted the urge to kiss her in front of my family.

"So Bella," Dad said, turning his body to face her. "What's it like, working with all the guys?"

"They've all been great to me so far. I feel like I've got a bunch of older brothers that I'm in charge of," she explained, a smile spreading over her face.

"That's great," Dad smiled back at her. I'm glad that Dad wouldn't try to interrogate me like Mom did. He leaves that kind of stuff to her and hears about it later. Mom called us into the kitchen and Bella stopped me at the kitchen door.

"By the way, I should probably tell you this. My birthday is the day of the next game, later this week," she whispered.

"Only you, love, only you."

* * *

**AN: I know, it's been too long! You wouldn't believe all the crap I've had to deal with over the past couple of weeks, but I honestly hope I'll be able to write a lot this weekend.**

**FUNFACT: Whenever I start to type Emmett, I want to type 'Emma'.**

**Thanks for reading and I like reviews, Emma**


	14. Chapter 14: Charlie and Soap

Chapter Fourteen: Charlie and Soap

EPOV

I sat up in bed slowly. Today was game day. We won out last two games, but now is not the time to get cocky. I have to play my best each game, and I was as ready as I ever could be. Jasper, Emmett, and I had our work cut out for us because today is the day we play our rivals.

Today was also Bella's birthday.

I stood up and made my way to her bedroom door, cracking it open slowly. Bella was still fast asleep and looking as beautiful as ever. I crept over to her bedside silently, using the ballet toes we were forced to learn during training. Carefully, I shook her shoulders. Bella, instead of waking up, flipped over and buried even deeper into her pillows.

"Go away, Dad," she mumbled, causing me to smirk. I leaned down until my lips were directly above her ear.

"I'm not your father, Bella," I whispered. She sat up quickly and her eyes flew open, immediately finding my own.

"Thank God, because that'd be creepy," she mumbled into her pillow as she flipped over again. I fought back the laughter threatening to spill out.

"Oh, no you don't. It's your birthday!" I yelled loudly. Bella groaned, but eventually succumbed to the light I had already turned on. She sat up but refused to move any further. "Bella, there's a game today." Not even the promise of competition got her moving this morning. I thought for a moment before saying, "You know, I'm sure Emmett could stop by-"

"I'm up!" Bella shot up out of bed and was across the room in record time.

"Be ready to leave in ten minutes," I told her as I walked to my own room. Nine minutes later, Bella came out of her room fully dressed and looking beautiful in jeans and a Seahawks T-shirt. "You ready?" I asked.

"Of course," she smiled brightly. As we walked out the door of our apartment, Bella grabbed my hard firmly and deliberately. We had decided that the best way to respond to the newspaper article is to be open with our relationship. No kissing on the lips, however. We want to keep it tasteful. It wasn't a fling, so there's no reason to deny our serious relationship.

"I like not hiding," I whispered softly. Bella smiled up at me as the doormen opened the door for us. I kissed her cheek as I helped her into the passenger's seat of my Volvo. I heard the click of a camera and smiled. I hoped that picture would show up in an article.

"So, we're playing out arch enemies today," Bella remarked conversationally.

"Yep, and we're going to win." She didn't comment.

You can't argue with my level of confidence.

BPOV

I walked into the locker room and was glad that it was before the game, not after. Edward kissed me quickly inside the door. "I'll change, you go be smart."

"Aren't I always?" I smirked before prancing over to Billy. "What's the game plan?" Billy's head shot up and he shrugged his shoulders.

"The game plan is doing whatever you tell us to do so we can win. Does that work for you?" Billy joked with Charlie and me, but showed his rough exterior to everyone else.

"Sure, sure. Can I go see if Charlie is here yet?" I asked, ready to see him. I felt a little bad for not telling Edward, but I wanted this to be a surprise so he didn't worry.

"Charlie called me and said he is waiting for you in the stands near our sidelines. Happy birthday, by the way." Billy smiled widely, knowing that my birthday wasn't a big deal to me.

"Don't tell the team, they'll overreact," I begged. Billy shrugged and I sighed loudly.

"Wait until I address the team, then you can go find Charlie." Billy and I stepped up to the bench and Billy whistled, instantly gaining the attention of the room. "Today is as important as every game day, and we need to play our hardest. Do it for Bella, if for no other reason. It's her birthday today-"

"BILLY!!" I yelled, absolutely furious. Before I could continue yelling, however, I had dozens of body builders giving me the biggest group hug on the planet. _Billy is going to pay for this_, I thought aggressively. "I love you too, but I need to breath!" I yelled again, needing to go meet Charlie. Slowly the group broke up and, after hearing a million 'happy birthdays', I finally found Edward.

"I would've jumped in and saved you, but I was too scared," Edward joked, hugging me lightly. He pulled back and the serious expression on my face made him freeze.

"Don't freak out, OK?" I pleaded, really hoping he won't blow this out of proportion.

"No promises," Edward mumbled.

"My father is in the stands and he wants to meet you again after the article." Edward's whole body froze again. His face looked tense and his jaw was clenched. He didn't look angry, just nervous. Extremely nervous. It was odd to be the calm one for a change.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Edward managed now. through his still clenched jaw.

"I didn't want you to be nervous like you are Loosen up, I promise everything will work out. Trust me," I begged and pleaded with my voice and eyes.

"I do." Edward breathed in and out slowly. "Let's go see him now before I have to warm up," he said, resigned.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as I hugged him tightly. He loosened up and let me lead him to the bleachers. Charlie, who had been watching the entrance, stood up and waved to catch my attention. I grabbed Edward's hand and squeezed it tightly. I let go as I got closer to Charlie and hugged him tightly.

"Hey, Dad. How are you?" I asked, pulling away and taking a step back.

"I'm doing OK, but it's hard to find good food. Happy birthday," he said, a little stiff. I sighed internally before talking.

"Dad, you remember Edward." Edward, being the Southern gentleman that he was, stepped forward and shook Charlie's hand.

"It's great to see you again, sir." Charlie just nodded gruffly.

CharliePOV

I didn't like the look of this guy. I like him as a football player, but now he's dating my daughter. Not only that, but he LIVES with her!

"I hear you're dating my daughter," I said, not beating around the bush. I watched Bella stiffen but was impressed to see that Edward's posture didn't change.

"Yes sir, I am," was the only response I got from Edward. He met my eyes steadily and I saw no embarrassment or awkwardness.

"What do your parents do?" I asked, needing to get a sense of Edward's past.

"Dad, do you really think an extensive background check is necessary?" Bella groaned. I stiffened as I watched her rest her forehead on Edward's shoulder. Edward instinctively put a protective arm around her and I instinctively wanted to punch Edward. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that at least he had protective instincts.

"It's not a problem, love." What did he call her? "My dad is a doctor and my mom is a general humanitarian," Edward told me politely. I approve of his parents, at least.

"What are your intentions toward my daughter?" I dropped the bomb and I watched Edward's face carefully. He maintained a respectful expression. Is he an actor AND an amazing football player?

"I intend to be the there for her, no matter what way, as long as she wants me." His voice was serious and sincere. Damn, this boy might actually gain my trust.

"You don't seem that bad, but know that no one is ever good enough for my daughter." I stared him in the eyes and tried to convey how serious I am.

"I would never dream of deserving Bella," Edward said, that sincerity still there. Damn right he doesn't.

"I love Bella very much and she is all I have," I admitted. "Break her heart and I'll break your face. Understand?" I threatened, drilling it in his head that there will be repercussions for his actions.

"Of course, sir."

"Are you done, Dad?" Bella growled.

"For now. I think we should all go out to dinner after the game." It wasn't a suggestion. I needed to get to know Edward better before I could sleep at night knowing he lives with my daughter.

"That's fine. Edward needs to warm up before Billy freaks, so we'll see you later." Bella hugged me and Edward shook my hand firmly before they both started down the stairs. Edward's arm snaked around Bella's waist and I wanted to yell at them, but restrained myself. At least Edward kept his hand off her ass.

It's not that I didn't want Bella to grow up and have a family, but the only man I trust not to pull the moves on her is myself. From what I know of Edward, he's OK. Not good enough for Bella, but no one truly is. In my mind, at least. I don't want to interrogate Edward at dinner tonight. Instead, I want to watch how he interacts with others. Namely, how he treats Bella when he doesn't think he's being judged.

EPOV

"Well, at least he didn't bring his gun," Bella sighed as we stepped out of ear sight. I spun her around so that we were face-to-face, but my arm was still around her waist.

"Why would he bring a gun?" I asked softly.

"Charlie is a police chief," Bella mumbled. _I could've been killed today_, I thought. I said a silent prayer at my close escape.

"I'm glad you didn't tell me earlier. Let's go warm up, shall we?" I pulled Bella down the stairs and onto the grass. I grabbed a ball and went to find Jasper, dropping Bella off with Billy. I spotted him in the middle of the field and sprinted over to him.

"Dude, where'd you disappear to?" Jasper asked once I was close enough to hear him.

"Bella's dad showed up today because it's her birthday. Bella, the lovely and sneaky woman that she is, didn't tell me until we were coming out of the locker room." Jasper winced appreciatively.

"Forget it and warm up." I sighed and started the warming up process. An hour later, I was ready to play as our defense took the field. Bella was already scribbling furiously on her notebook, but she looked up as I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. She shot me a short, bright smile before returning her attention to the page. Jasper was standing beside me and was as ready to play as I was.

I watched the first play closely, because it sets the stage for the rest of the game. I watched as the opposing QB caught the snap. I watched as he took a few quick steps back, his eyes searching for an open man. I watched as Emmett and Jacob came at him from opposite sides. I watched as the QB was tackled by over four hundred pounds of Seahawk.

"This is going to be a good game," I told Jasper.

"Wait until we get on the field." An evil smile spread across the compassionate Jasper's face and I felt sorry for the other team.

* * *

When we walked into the locker room, we were winning 10-3. I hadn't messed up, but I hadn't done anything spectacular either. I watched, along with everyone else, as Bella stepped up on the bench in the middle of the locker room. Billy was right next to her, but it was Bella who started talking.

"It was a good first half, but I think next half can be better. It seems as if you guys forgot it was my birthday." What is she doing? "You also forgot that you don't know what kind of soap Billy uses-"

"Bella, you don't want to do this," Billy warned, trying to look mean.

"Oh, I think I do. He uses rose blossom soap, isn't that manly?" Bella's smiled innocently. When she caught the look on Billy's face, she immediately got off the bench and started to sprint towards the women's bathroom. The room was dead quiet until Billy, deciding to break the silence, smiled.

"At least I smell better then you do right now." The room finally erupted into noise as what had just happened settled in. Billy and rose blossom anything was a strange combination. As the room calmed down, I went out to look for Bella. I ran into her as she walked out of the women's restroom.

"Is Billy still mad?" Bella asked in a subdued voice.

"If he is, he hides it well. He made a joke about smelling better than us. I think you're safe. Now I'm curious though, how do you know what kind of soap he uses?" I asked. She smiled sheepishly before answering.

"I lived at his house some weekends. I had to use his shower and the soap container was pink. He wasn't exactly sneaky about his soap choices." I rolled my eyes as I started laughing.

Only Bella would think of using Billy's _soap_ as blackmail.

* * *

**AN: I know, I'm so sorry it took me forever to update. This was a hard chapter for me to write and I've had something going on every day the past week. I'm not especially happy with this chapter and I apologise how much the POV's skip.**

**FUNFACT: I got a 79.4 in algebra and my teacher refused to round up. Doesn't that suck? All my other grades are A's, so let's focuse on that.**

**Thanks for reading and I like reviews, Emma**


	15. Chapter 15: Dinner and Breakfast

Chapter Fifteen: Dinner and Breakfast

BPOV

"I know we're ahead by twenty-one, but let's try to get one more touchdown. Edward, I want you to look for the open man. You know what to do without me holding you by the hand," I growled into the mouthpiece.

"Someone sounds grumpy," Jake said from behind me.

"I'm nervous," I said without turning around. "Charlie is taking Edward and me out to dinner after the game."

"You know there's ten seconds left in the game, right?" I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Don't mock my distress," I shot back, sounding sour. Hell, I felt sour too. I turned my attention back to the game as the ball was snapped. Edward's eyes began searching as soon he got the ball, trying to find the open man. Seeing none, he started searching for an opening for him to run. He found it and started dodging the defense. Edward wove his way through the field and…

TOUCHDOWN!! The whole stadium erupted as it does every time we score. I couldn't make myself be happy that we'd won. I groaned as I pulled the headphones off and sat them on the bench. Now I've got dinner with the man I love and my father. My lovely, overprotective father who can legally carry firearms and drives a police car stocked with taser guns.

"Bella!" I turned and saw Edward sprint off the field. He picked me up and spun me around a few times before setting me down and kissing me sweetly on the cheek.

"PDA!" Jake cried loudly. I rolled my eyes and restrained myself from commenting. Edward pulled me closer to him before swooping me down with my back almost touching the grass. All the breath whooshed out of me. I smirked as Edward merely kissed my forehead. I stuck my tongue out at Jake and Edward put me back on my feet.

"How are you, love?" he asked as softly as he could and still be heard over all the noise in the stadium.

"Nervous. Up-tight. Scared." There was no point in lying to him.

"It'll be fine, sweetheart. Let's get it over with, OK?" Ten minutes later, we were walking to Charlie's seat in the stands. Edward was running his thumb over the back of my hand and I remembered to take deep breathes.

"Hey Dad, are you ready to go?" I asked, a smile surprisingly spreading across my face. Charlie merely nodded and his eyes were glued to our clasped hands. Edward refused to let go of my hand under my father's gaze.

"What kind of food did you have in mind?" Edward asked smoothly. Charlie's eyes finally found our faces.

"Somewhere nice, my treat." I was surprised he wanted this to be a nice ordeal. I looked to Edward for suggestions because he knew the local places much better than I did. After settling on a place, we made our way through the still packed stadium. We were lucky no one recognized Edward and me, but we didn't count on paparazzi outside the stadium.

"Edward! Did you knock her up?" _Excuse me? That is totally out of line._

"Bella! How do you feel about your relationship becoming public?" _I'm pretty pissed, thanks for asking. _

"Edward! Kiss her for the camera!" _Not in front of my father and the rest of the world, freako._

"Bella! Do you have a comment about the rumors around your relationship?" _They shouldn't exist. Why am I getting all the questions on our relationship while Edward gets the 'fun' questions?_

Of course, I couldn't actually say what I was thinking. Instead, Edward and I pulled Charlie along behind us as we parted through the cameras. We dropped Charlie off at his police cruiser while Edward and I climbed into the Volvo quickly. We took deep, steadying breathes before Edward spoke.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" I rolled my eyes.

"Start driving, smart ass," I remarked sourly. I wasn't in the mood at the moment.

"Love, calm down." I felt Edward's hand on my chin, pulling my face towards him. I leaned into his hand and took a second to chill. I opened my eyes slowly and nodded to Edward to start driving.

_Get a grip, Bella. This is your father, who you love like air, and it is simply dinner. You shouldn't freak out about having dinner with the two most important men in your life._ I tried to give myself a pep talk and it worked to a certain extent.

"Bella, we're here," Edward's soft voice whispered, breaking my train of thought. I nodded and smiled shakily. "Love, you have nothing to worry about. I can be a total suck-up when the occasion arises." I burst out laughing, breaking the silence. Edward smiled slightly and got out of the car. I scrambled after him and met both of them in the foyer of the restaurant.

"I hope this is acceptable," I heard Edward tell Charlie. Charlie merely nodded quickly.

EPOV

Bella came up behind me and I instinctively grabbed her hand. Her father stiffened at the contact.

"Are we ready to eat?" Bella's voice was hesitant. I tightened my grip on her hand.

"I'm starving. I hope they serve a good steak," Charlie said, sounding more at ease now that Bella was here. She had that effect on people. A hostess took us to our table, which was a booth. That was little awkward because Charlie almost sat beside Bella before realizing that I meant to sit there too. He let me slide in next to Bella and took the seat across the table.

"I love you and I'm sorry about the awkward dinner that is about to happen," Bella mumbled to me under her breathe while her father was giving his drink order to the hostess.

"Don't worry about me," I insisted. I wasn't really stressing, but my nerves were tightly wound. I didn't want to say the wrong thing and I knew it would be hard for Bella if Charlie and I didn't get along. That said, I don't think anything will go wrong.

"So Edward, where did you grow up?" An excruciating hour and a half later, we were finishing up dessert. I'd been interrogated about everything from my high school grades to my non-existent criminal record to my past relationships. Bella had hardly been able to squeeze a word in. I kept a hand touching her knee the whole time. Bella yawned over her cake and knew it was time to leave.

"…graduated valedictorian. Sir, I think I should get Bella home," I slipped in after answering another question. Charlie saw Bella's drooping eyes and nodded. After the goodbyes, I tugged Bella out of the booth and left a good tip. I wrapped my arm around her waist, but she was supporting her own weight. As soon as we were out of her father's eyesight, she straightened up and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I thought you were tired," I said, confused.

"Not really, I just needed to get out of there. Thanks for catching on," she answered cheerfully.

"I'm sorry you didn't have a chance to talk," I said. We buckled our seatbelts and started backing out of the parking lot.

"I'm sorry you had to talk so much. He means well," she insisted, looking up at me from under her long lashes.

"I know, sweetie. He's gotten everything he wanted to ask out of the way. I promise it wasn't that bad for me," I lied smoothly. It was pretty bad: sitting there, being asked about heart attacks in my family history, Bella not talking, an hour and a half. All those things add up to an un-fun dinner. Bella didn't need to know that, though.

"Well, we won the game," Bella said in a forced cheery voice. I nodded and pulled up to the front of my apartment building. I tossed the keys to the bellboy and high-fived the doormen before slipping into our apartment.

"You hungry?" I asked, even though we just got back from dinner. We both slipped the expensive and undercooked food into our napkins because, in all honesty, it was nasty.

"Starving." I walked to the fridge and pulled out an ice cream cake. Bella probably thought I'd forgotten her birthday.

Not a chance.

I heard her banging her bedroom door open and I saw that she had already changed into her pajamas. I cut two huge pieces out of the cake as I heard Bella collapse onto the couch. I walked into the living room and placed the plate on her lap from behind. Her eyes lit up and she looked up at me from under her lashes.

"Happy birthday, love," I whispered and kissed her cheek softly.

"You bought me ice cream cake. I will love you forever," Bella said in broken sentences.

"You don't have to bring me ice cream cake, I'll love you anyway," I smirked as she stuck tongue out at me. I took the seat next to her and we both propped out feet on the coffee table.

"This is not a cheesiest line contest," she quipped, taking a bite of her cake. After a pause, she said in a quiet voice, "I thought you'd forgotten about my birthday."

"Nope. I was going to take you out to dinner, but your dad beat me to the punch." She smiled and continued eating her cake in silence. I knew she was thinking and didn't want to interrupt her. The silence was peaceful and I settled into the couch. A few minutes later, Bella rested her head on my lap.

"Good night, Edward," she whispered. Her eyes fluttered shut and her breathing steadied. I couldn't help but lean down and kiss her softly. She responded slowly, slipping her hand behind my neck and pulling herself up slightly. Our lips moved together slowly and her heart started to race. I pulled back reluctantly and her eyes opened slowly.

"Good night, love," I whispered.

"That's not fair. How am I supposed to sleep now?" she whined, pouting slightly. I smoothed her hair down lightly. She turned and buried her head into my T-shirt. Once her breathing had settled again, I clapped and the light went off, though the room was still flooded with moonlight. The moonlight illuminated Bella's defined cheekbones and soft lips.

Why do I like watching her sleep? No idea.

Do I feel like a creeper? Definitely.

Do I feel bad enough to stop? Nope.

Will I ever get tired of watching her sleep? I doubt it.

I started humming softly while I watched the moonlight drift over Bella's perfect features. The darkness was peaceful and gave the whole apartment a sense of serenity. Everything seemed surreal and too perfect to last. The sounds of the city dropped away until the only sound in the room were our steady breathing.

BPOV

Why does my pillow smell this good? Wait, why does my pillow have a six pack?

I opened my eyes and shut them quickly after my retina was burned by unfiltered sunlight. It took me a solid ten seconds to remember where I was. I flipped over quickly and I heard Edward hiss suddenly. I looked up and saw that Edward's jaw was clenched.

"Oops, sorry," I whispered, my cheeks flooding with color.

"It's OK." His jaw relaxed and he straightened up. After a moment, he said, "Good morning, love. How did you sleep?"

"Very well, but sleeping on a six pack isn't the same as a pillow. Maybe you should've eaten more cake last night," I joked and slapped his stomach lightly.

"Oh no, now I'm going to be self conscious." He raised his shirt slightly and rubbed his toned abs.

"Lord knows you should be," I rolled my eyes, laughing slightly. "I'm hungry," I said suddenly.

"We've got some cereal," Edward suggested.

"I said I was hungry, not that I wanted to move," I clarified. I was too comfortable where I was. Edward sighed and got up, returning a couple minutes later with bowls of cereal. "Thanks," I smiled innocently.

"Whatever." The love in his voice hung in the air before a light breeze blew it away. Deciding not to answer, I ate my cereal.

"How did you sleep?" I asked, breaking the silence between us.

"I slept with a beautiful girl next to me. How do you think I slept?" he smirked and raised his eyebrow.

"I think the normal girl on your other side got in the way," I mumbled. Edward's smirk disappeared and his eyes became serious.

"Bella, you're gorgeous. Don't I tell you that enough?" he whispered, dead serious. I shrugged, refusing to meet his eyes. Edward deserved a beautiful girl beside him. "Bella, look at me," he demanded and my involuntary response was to look up.

"You tell me that too much," I finally answered.

"That's not possible, sweetheart," he whispered. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "You're beautiful, Bella," he whispered, making his point before kissing my mouth.

Ah, breakfast on the couch.

* * *

**AN: I'm sorry it took so long, and I apologise. I have excuses, but I'm not going to give it.**

**FUNFACT: I like cherries and watermelons.**

**Thanks for reading and I like reviews, Emma**


	16. Chapter 16: Stupid Jealousy

Chapter Sixteen: Stupid Jealousy

BPOV

"Knees up, knees up! Come on gentlemen; don't make me call Billy out of his office!" I yelled, my voice echoing around the large practice stadium. Billy was taking the morning off and I was in charge of the morning practice. I thought it was wonderful!

The team didn't.

"I said RUN!" I screamed again. I watched the whole team pick up the pace grudgingly while I merely stood in the middle of the field. I blew the whistle after ten minutes and waited for them to all stop running. "Get on your backs and give me 215 crunches before you go to the locker room!" My throat was starting to hurt a bit. I began walking between the rows of hot, sweaty, shirtless men.

"Bella, we've been at it for over two hours!" Jake complained from the ground.

"And yet you still have the breath to speak," I retorted, dropping down on my knees beside him. I put my hand on his abs and put pressure on them, making the crunches three times as difficult. "If I hear one more complaint, I won't loosen up for the next hundred," I warned. I took my hand of his stomach and wiped his sweat off on my athletic shorts.

"You're making Edward jealous, Coach!" Emmett called from my other side. Laughs and catcalls came from the team and I added my own little chuckle. My eyes instantly began searching for Edward and I found him in the row behind Jake. Every time he came up, he glared at me for leaning over Jake. I smirked and moved to Edward's side. I dropped down, put my hand on his abs, and pushed down like I had on Jake.

Though I enjoyed touching Edward's abs a lot more.

I kept pushing harder, using all my basketball muscles, until Edward was clenching his muscles tightly with the effort to move up a few inches. "Don't be jealous, sweetie," I teased. The team laughed and let loose another round of whistles and breathless laughter. I let him do ten more crunches with pressure on his stomach before I removed my hand. I watched him do a few more before stopping him from going back down.

"I'm never going to finish the 215 if you don't stop-" Edward began, but I cut him off with a kiss. Edward uncrossed his arms and put one hand behind my neck and the other snagged my waist. He kissed me back sweetly, but there was definitely force behind it. My fingers were weaved into the sweaty hair at the back of his neck.

Edward didn't want to breathe nearly as much as he had thirty seconds earlier.

"_Now_ you can finish your 215 crunches," I said once I'd pulled away. I lightly pushed him onto his back and he put up no resistance.

"That's not fair," Edward nearly pouted. The team managed light chuckles. I was glad to see that they were feeling the effects of the workout. I managed to keep a straight face through all the laughter.

"I'm afraid it's more than fair. The rest of the team has to do 215 crunches and they don't even get to kiss me," I joked. I stood up and dusted off my hands on my shorts. I looked around and saw that a few of the guys had stopped doing crunches so they had the breath to laugh fully. I gave them a stern look, feeling like a school teacher.

"If the rest of you don't keep working, it'll be 300 crunches and still without a kiss," I threatened. The men got back to their crunches, many of them grunting with displeasure. Work-outs like this are part of keeping in shape, which is essential for professional football players.

Ah, and the real reason I pursued coaching instead of playing.

EPOV

I limped into the locker room with the rest of the team. I've been through some pretty intense work-outs and I'm in shape and all, but that was a _killer_. Bella can be harsh when she wants to be.

"Can you do something about her?" Emmett wheezed out next to me. Both of us opened our lockers in slow motion and I winced at the sore muscles in my arm.

"Nope. I don't think she's going to change. Let's just hope Billy does the next practice." I pulled off my dirty clothes and threw them on the ground. I wasn't about to try to change Bella. I knew she was too stubborn to budge.

But I love that stubborn side of her, too.

"I never thought a _girl_ could make me think of Billy as soft," Emmett muttered incredulously as he tugged on a clean shirt. I finished pulling on clean clothes and turned to find Bella so I could take a good shower. I found her by the door and wove my way through the locker room to meet her.

"Come on, let's get home," I said, pulling Bella out the door. Bella was smiling and happy.

"That was fun. I wonder if Billy would let me take over again." Bella's voice was hopeful. My expression wasn't.

"Well, I think I burned every extra calorie in my body," I said, trying to look on the bright side of the work-out. I went to open my car door and I let a breath hiss out between my teeth. It hurt like hell to move.

"Edward, are you OK?" Bella asked urgently.

"Every muscle in my body is either numb or on fire," I answered honestly and bluntly. I bit my lip to stop a gasp of pain from slipping out as I lowered myself into the driver's seat.

"Oh, did I work you guys too hard?" Bella asked innocently. Ummmm….. "I meant for you guys to burn some, but I didn't want to incapacitate anyone."

"Next time, it would be better to skip the crunches," I said flatly, pulling the Volvo out of the parking lot and into traffic.

"OK, I will," Bella said without hesitation. _Yesss_, I thought triumphantly.

"Bella, let's stay home tonight. I really can't move," I admitted.

"That's fine. I'm sorry that I pushed you guys so far," Bella apologized, even though the glow from being in charge during the work-out was still there. Even though her face was apologetic, her eyes twinkled with humor. I refrained from rolling my eyes with great difficulty. We pulled up in front of our apartment building and I tossed the car keys to the teenager waiting.

"Mr. Cullen, Bella," the doorman greeted us and high-fived Bella as we walked into our building. Thirty seconds later I was sprawled out over the couch with my legs hanging off the arm.

"Would you like some ice?" Bella asked hesitantly. I nodded without opening my eyes. I heard her rummage around in the freezer before she came back into the living room and knelt by my side.

"Bella?" I said softly.

"'Mmmm?" was the only response I got. I cracked my eye opened and saw her wrapping a paper towel around a bag full of ice.

"You're beautiful," I whispered. I realized this morning how skewed her view of herself was and I was going to try to help her see herself the way I see her.

Bella, being Bella, rolled her eyes.

"This may be a bit cold at first," she said as she placed the ice on my forehead, ignoring my earlier comment. I didn't push the issue. Once I tell her she's beautiful enough times, she'll believe me. Her cell rang suddenly and she jumped a bit. She pulled it out of her pocket and answered it quickly.

"Hello? Oh hi Jake, how are you? I'm sorry, Edward's hurting too. I'd love to see you soon. Hey, why don't you come over here? We can chill like old times. Ten minutes? Bye Jake, I'll see you soon." Bella hung up and turned to face me again.

"Jake is coming over! I haven't gotten to really hang with him for months," she said excitedly. Bella's face shined brightly and her smile was the widest I'd seen in a while. She began running around the house, tidying the already organized house and trying to make a good impression.

Jealously bubbled up inside of me and it took a lot of effort to force a smile.

Then I felt horrible. Bella, the woman I love more than anything, was happy and I was forcing smiles. The reason she was so happy shouldn't matter, because all that mattered was her happiness. If having Jacob around made her happy, then it made me happy too.

Well, theoretically I was happy.

"Edward, are you OK?" Bella's worried voice interrupted my thoughts. She'd stopped running and was sitting on the couch beside me. "You aren't in too much pain, are you?"

"I'll be fine, Bella. Stop worrying about me." I smiled genuinely as she pulled one of my hands into both of hers.

"As long as you're OK… Oh, I didn't think about Jake! I hope he's alright," she said, her voice tinted with worry.

I fought very hard to fight back any ill feelings that might've surfaced. Jacob is one of her oldest friends. Of course it makes sense that she's worried about him. I felt so stupid. I know that Bella doesn't have any romantic feelings for Jacob and yet my emotions had a mind of their own. I made myself calm down and stop overreacting.

"Don't worry about Jacob. He and the rest of the team will be fine." _After a month,_ I thought but decided against vocalizing. The ice had numbed me pretty well and the pain was now tolerable. I pulled Bella down beside me and she relaxed, molding to me.

"I know, I trust you," she sighed and buried her face in my chest. Her chin hit a sore muscle, but I wasn't complaining.

"Let me see your beautiful face," I whispered after a moment. I put a finger under her chin and pulled it up until her eyes met mine.

At that moment, I knew Bella was mine and I was more hers than I believed possible. The room seemed to sizzle as Bella and I stared in silence. Neither of us wanted to ruin the moment. I slowly moved my finger from her chin and moved my hand to cup her cheeks. I felt the heat of her blush and my lips twitched up slightly.

"You know, I haven't kissed you since this morning," I whispered, my eyes never leaving hers. I leaned down slowly, my hand still on her cheek and the other moving to rest on her waist. I hesitated centimeters away from her lips, playing her a bit.

"You're such a tease," she murmured before she closed the gap between us herself.

My reaction time was less than a second. I kissed her with all that I had and nearly smirked when her breath caught. I loved knowing that I could do that. Our lips moved together effortlessly. Bella's hand moved from my chest to my neck and started playing with the hair at the back of my neck. The feeling of her fingers in my hair sent shivers down my spine. My hand began to play with the hem of her shirt, careful to not touch Bella's skin. I sighed, reluctant to pull back. I knew, however, that I didn't want to push my self-control any farther.

I reluctantly pulled back a few inches from Bella's face but didn't untangle my limbs. I kissed her once more before tucking her head back under my chin.

I hated having to stop, but I was raised with the utmost respect for women. If my mother found out that I disrespected any woman, there would be hell to pay. No really, my mother has a temper that everyone who values their life fears. Even if my mother hadn't raised me like she had, I could never take advantage of Bella.

"I love you, Edward," Bella whispered against my chest.

"I love you too, sweetheart." I was about to speak again when my phone rang. I managed to keep a hold on Bella while extracting my phone from my pocket and answering it quickly.

"Hey Mom," I greeted her after looking at the caller ID.

"Edward dear, I haven't talked to you in ages. I don't have very long to talk, but I invited Rose, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice to dinner tomorrow and I was hoping that you and Bella would join us," my mother spoke quickly and I could tell she was dusting. She often called Alice, Emmett, and me while she was cleaning. It somehow reminded her of us. Maybe it's the years she spent cleaning up after us…

"Hold on, let me ask Bella." I held the phone away from me while I whispered, "How does dinner at my parent's house tomorrow sound? The whole gang will be there." Bella nodded and I told Mom, "Sure, we'll be there."

"Great. Be here at six. By the way, have you told her yet?" Mom asked, expecting me to know what she was talking about. The doorbell rang before I could say anything and I reluctantly let Bella go so she could answer the door.

"Told who what, Mom?"

"Did you tell Bella that you love her yet?" Mom asked excitedly. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

"Yeah, I have. I'm very happy, Mom," I told her and heard her squeal on the other end. She may have a _small_ mushy side; okay, she was very much a hopeless romantic.

"Oh, that's so wonderful. I can't wait to talk to Bella! Well, it'll be different tomorrow than it was on your birthday because you guys are IN LOVE! I can't wait until tomorrow. But, I have to go. I'm in the middle of doing the laundry."

"I thought you were dusting," I said, holding back a laugh.

"I called Alice while dusting," Mom admitted with a giggle. "I love you, Edward. Give my love to Bella for me."

"I love you too. See you tomorrow," I told her. I hung up and spotted Jacob collapsed on the other part of the L-shaped.

"Hello Jacob. How are you doing?" I asked politely. Really, I was so embarrassed by my pointless jealousy. Bella came in with a pack of ice for Jacob before coming to sit beside me. I held onto her hand tightly.

"I feel like I've joined the Navy instead of a football team," Jacob said bluntly. I laughed a little before retorting lightly.

"The Navy is only half as strict as our coach." I nudged Bella with my elbow and she blushed beautifully.

"I wasn't that bad!" Bella cried, trying to defend herself. Jacob rolled his eyes while I rubbed Bella's hand comfortingly.

"Of course you weren't," I comforted her.

_You could've been worse. You could've made us do 216 crunches. _

**AN: I'M BACK!! If you read my profile, it explains that I've been on vacation. I went to a month-long nerd camp (AMAZING!) and then I went to San Fransisco for two weeks. Then, of course, I had all kinds of crap to catch up on after being gone so long. But....I'm back for good and I'm really sorry. I hope I haven't lost any readers because of my vacation :(**

**FUNFACT: If anyone gets a chance to go to San Fransisco or Duke TIP (nerd camp), YOU SHOULD DEFINETLY GO!!**

**Thanks to my unofficial beta, Music ADD, and forgive me for being gone so long. Thanks for reading and I love reviews, Emma**

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	17. Chapter 17: Ashton, Orlando, and Brad

Chapter Seventeen: Ashton Kutcher, Orlando Bloom, and Brad Pitt

BPOV

"Is it totally ridiculous for me to be nervous about this, even though I've already met your parents?" I asked from the passenger seat of the Volvo. Edward's parent's house was beaufitul and inviting, and here I was, sitting in the car feeling intimidated.

"Nothing you feel is ridiculous, love. It's just unnecessary. My mother is so excited to see you. They didn't get to know you very well the last time they saw you and they want to acquaint themselves with the woman who stole their son's heart," he smirked at me and I had to remind myself to breathe.

"OK then, onward," I joked, sticking my fist in front of me like I was charging into battle. Edward laughed as he got out of the Volvo. I got out and linked arms with Edward as he began to walk towards the elegant wrap-around porch. Edward knocked on the door and squeezed my hand lightly. Esme must have been on the other side of the door waiting for us, because she flung the door open quickly and stopped to stare at Edward and me.

"Oh my God, you guys look so happy!" she proclaimed excitedly. I blushed and looked up at Edward, hoping he could tell me what I was supposed to say. He wasn't much help, as it turns out. He was too busy rolling his eyes at his mother to notice my awkwardness.

"_Mother_!" he stressed her formal title. "I told you that over the phone, it's no surprise."

"I know, but this is different. I see the love and bliss and all the lovey-dovey feelings that I just love and it makes me so excited," she said, trying to sound calm but her words got progressively faster.

"Mom, calm down. I'm happy too, but you have all evening to gush over us. Now, you always told me to not leave guests at the door. What kind of example are you setting for your impressionable child?" Edward joked lightly. Esme laughed freely and let Edward and me pass through the doorway and into foyer. As soon as she closed the door, Esme pulled me into a motherly hug.

"Bella, I'm sorry for getting overexcited. I'm just so glad that all my children are happy and in love. My children's happiness has, and will always be, my top priority, so please excuse my eagerness."

"It's not a problem, Esme. Thank you for having me over for dinner," I said politely before pulling back and reattaching myself to Edward's side. Esme turned her attention to Edward.

"Everyone is waiting in the dining room," Esme said before making her way into the kitchen. Edward took my hand and pulled me towards the laughter wafting through the open foyer.

"Bella!" Alice squealed as soon as she saw me. She actually got out of her seat, nearly knocking over her glass in the process, and hugged me so hard I couldn't breathe.

"Alice!" I cried with as much air as I could spare. Her grip on me finally loosened and I tried to take a deep breath without drawing attention to it.

"I love you too, Alice," Edward joked from my side.

"Oh Edward, you know I love you. But Bella is newer," Alice explained.

"Alice, be nice to your brother," Carlisle reprimanded from his seat at the table.

"Yes, Dad. I'm sorry Edward," Alice monotoned quickly. "Now, come sit down. I don't know about you, but I'm starving." I always felt one step behind with Alice. She was so fast paced and constantly moving, it was hard to keep up.

"Dinner," Esme announced, carrying a pork roast in her arms and balancing a basket of rolls on her head. I sat down between Emmett and Edward and across from Alice. Emmett helped his mother set the pork roast down, but I think he only did that so he could get the first and biggest cut.

"Emmett and Jasper, how are you doing after yesterday's practice?" I asked hesitantly after a couple minutes of eating and talking. Their glares were pretty self explanatory.

"After a couple hours of soaking in a hot bath, I felt a little better," Jasper said a little bitterly. That was out of character for him, so I knew I really messed up.

"What Jasper meant to say was, you worked us twice as hard as we'd ever been worked before. That really says something, seeing as Billy is no pansy," Emmett summed up frankly.

"I apologize. I would've skipped the crunches if I knew it would have hurt everyone so much."

"It wasn't just the crunches, Coach," Jasper said, probably referring to the running I made them do. I blushed and the topic of conversation was changed quickly. After Emmett ate the equivalent of my weight in pork roast, everyone started getting up from the table and moving towards the door.

"Bella dear, would you mind helping me clean up in the kitchen?" Esme asked, flashing me a sweet, expectant smile. Edward squeezed my hand before letting me stand up to follow Esme into the kitchen. I started on the dishes in the sink and glanced out the window to see the rest of the Cullens sitting on the back porch. After a few minutes of working in companionable silence, Esme cleared her throat and I brought my eyes from the dishwater to her face.

"So, you and Edward," she stated with a smirk.

"Me and Edward," I said, at a loss of what to say. My natural response was to blush like a rotten tomato. Edward said it was the color of roses, but that only convinced me that it was time to get his eyes checked.

"Honey, I'm happy if you are," she said with a sincere smile. I knew that she cared a lot and being excited and prying was her way of showing it.

"Edward makes me very happy, Mrs. Cullen," I admitted, accidently using her formal title.

"Sweetheart, my name is Esme," she stressed. "Honestly, I was starting to thing he was gay." She sighed.

"What?" I said, thoroughly surprised.

"I would still love him, of course, and be happy for him and the man he chose, but I want grandkids with his eyes," she continued. I started laughing, I couldn't help it.

"I can assure you, Esme, your son is definitely not gay," I said through my laughter.

"I don't doubt your authority on the subject, dear," Esme smirked and looked like she was fighting the urge to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh no, it's not like that!" I insisted. I'm sure my face looked like someone had caught it on fire.

"I was just teasing you, Bella. You don't have to be so embarrassed," she said casually as she started to load the dishwasher. I stopped washing dishes and turned to lean up against the sink.

"You might give me a heart attack at twenty-two if you aren't careful," I warned lightly. Esme and I finished cleaning the kitchen while keeping up a constant stream of bantering.

While Rose and Alice were my girly, sister-like close friends, Esme was a happy, casual maternal figure. I never realized how much I'd been craving a motherly touch. As much as I loved Charlie and my football boys, they don't have a single maternal instinct. I felt comfortable around Esme, around all of the Cullens. In a few short weeks, I'd found the love of my life, the best family ever, and I can't forget the team. They were my boys and they had my back.

"We're almost done here, go on outside," Esme said, all but shoving me out the kitchen door.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to get rid of me." I faked a hurt look and even added a pout for good measure.

"Don't try that, honey. I saw you drooling at my son through the window." Oh, she was a nice/evil woman. I decided to laugh instead of respond because she'd caught me. I stepped outside and smiled at the sun. Living in Washington, I've learned to never take a sunny day for granted.

Edward had his back to me and he was walking to Jasper. I snuck up behind him and tapped his shoulder. He jumped and spun around quickly, smiling when he saw me. He wrapped his arms around my waist protectively and I noticed that "Jasper slipped away with a smile.

"Why in the world would Esme think you're gay?" I asked out of the blue after a few moments of silence. I was trying to tease him a bit, and he was making it extremely easy. He blushed adorably.

"There's nothing gay about not dating around and hooking up with everything that walks," Edward nearly yelled. I giggled and leaned my forehead to rest against his chest.

"Of course not, but are you sure you don't have a _tiny _crush Ashton Kutcher?" I teased mercilessly.

"_Bella_," he sighed, hugging me closer, "I never have, and never will, have a crush on Ashton Kutcher."

"Edward, it's normal to have a man crush." I giggled uncontrollably in his chest. I knew that he wasn't angry because of the way he tightened his arms around me, but I could tell he was annoyed when he sighed dramatically.

"You're hurting my manly pride, love." Ah, manly pride. Completely pointless, but essential to a man's self confidence.

"I'm sorry, I'm just joking," I apologized. I was going to stop teasing, but I couldn't help it. "I should've known you were more of an Orlando Bloom. I've got to say, the guy is pretty sexy. I like him better with short hair, tho-"

"Bella," Edward warned, his grip on me loosening so that he could look me in the face. "I love you, but you're a real pain in the ass sometimes."

"I could be a pain in the ass all the time and you'd still love me," I said with a wide, goofy smile. He rolled his eyes and kissed my lips quickly before tucking my head back under his chin. I knew I was forgiven.

I would've guessed Brad Pitt next.

EPOV

My mother was way out of line. I'm happy that she's friends with Bella, but telling her she thought I was gay, knowing that Bella would tease me mercilessly, was just cruel. I wasn't very angry at Bella, but I was more upset at Mom.

There's something that you've got to understand about my mother: she never means anything as an insult, but she sure says some things that are too true. She got down to the heart of people and situations and stated them bluntly. In her mind, the truth isn't something to be hidden and skirted around. It was something that should be told and accepted. She hated gossip, though. The idea of a lie being accepted as the truth was a nightmare for her. She was also very rarely wrong.

Except, you know, about me being gay and all that.

"Bella, go talk to Alice and Rose for a minute. I need to talk to my mother for a moment." Bella nodded against my chest and kissed me under the chin quickly before letting me go. I watched her go for a moment before walking through the back door and into the kitchen.

"Edward, I was wondering when I'd get to talk to you," Mom said with a wide smile. I knew she knew why I was there.

"Mother, why would you tell Bella that you thought I was gay?" I said bluntly, not feeling up to dance around the subject.

"Honey, I was just telling her the truth. You never had a serious girlfriend and I worried about your happiness." She pulled out the puppy dog eyes and I couldn't look away. I rolled my eyes and decided not to be too bad of a sport about the whole thing.

"So Mom, you like Bella?" Even as a grown man, I valued my mother's opinion over everyone else's.

"I love her to death already. I think my …frankness freaks her out a little, but she'll learn how to read me better with time. She's perfect for you, dearie," Mom said, patting my cheek like I was ten.

"Thanks Mom. If you don't mind, could you not tell Bella any more unnecessarily embarrassing things?" I crossed my fingers behind my back.

"Fine, but I'll drop hints and tell her to ask you for certain stories." Well, that was better than nothing.

"Close enough," I said before shaking her hand in a business-like manner. "Come outside, Mom. You've been hiding in the kitchen for long enough," I said, leading her out into the weak Washington sunshine. She walked over to Dad and he reached for her hand automatically. I smiled at them before I realized that my own arm had slipped around Bella's waist. I guess I really am turning into my father. Emmett was talking loudly about the game in a couple of days.

"Bella, you got any more tricks up your sleeve for the next game?" Emmett asked in his signature loudness.

"Of course. I've been researching in my spare time and I think I have a few plays and strategies that will be particularly affective against the Caroline Panthers."

"What are they? You can tell me," Emmett begged.

"Don't worry your large, intimidating head about it. Do what I tell you to do when you're on the field, and you'll be fine." Bella tone of authority shut Emmett up for the moment.

"Bella, I'm quite impressed with your football skills," Dad said to fill the silence left by Emmett.

"Thank you, Carlisle. Growing up with men meant that I was always more interested in sports than shopping," Bella said graciously. I hugged her closer to my side and rested my chin on her head.

"Oh, you poor thing! Sports are all fine and dandy, but nothing compares to shopping. We're going shopping the day you get back from your next game." Alice spazzed out and would've started jumping up and down around the yard if Jasper's arm weren't forming a cage around her.

"Alice, I can't coach in a dress and heels," Bella whined.

In any case, she would look better in that outfit than Billy would.

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**AN: I know. I know. I should've updated ages ago, but I'm lazy and school is a bitch. I just started my freshman year of high school. Oh, 9th grade! Well, I will try to be more normal about my updates. I already have a good bit of the next chapter written, so there's that at least :)**

**FUNFACT: In the state I live in, you get your learner's permit at 14, so last week I took the quiz and PASSED! Over half of the people who take it fail it the first time, apparently. Everyone before me failed, so it freaked me out a bit, but according to my dad I wasn't allowed to fail. Anyways, I'm determined to learn on a stick shift.**

**Thanks to Music ADD for....everything. Thanks for reading and I like reviews, Emma**


	18. Chapter 18: Chess and Muffins

Chapter Eighteen: Chess and Muffins

BPOV

"God, I hate long plane rides," I moaned into Edward's shoulder. We were on our way to North Carolina to play the Panthers. It was the fourth game of the season and I was ready to kick some butt again.

You know, if I _ever _get off this plane.

"It's not that bad, love. We'll be there in another few hours," Edward said in an attempt to consol me. I just groaned again and buried my face deeper into Edward's chest. He laughed lightly and rubbed my back comfortingly.

"I'm just so bored," I complained.

"Wanna see if I've gotten any better at chess, Coach?" Jake asked from the seat in front of us.

"Sure, but do you have a chess set on you?" I asked, trying not to get too excited. Jake always wanted to beat me at chess and I always won anyway. It never sat well with him because of his competitive nature.

"I never go anywhere without one, dear," he joked as he turned to rummage in his bag. He turned around with a travel-sized chess board. "So, how are we going to do this?" he said, meaning the draw-back that we were on different rows. I thought about this before coming to a solution.

"I'll sit on Edward's lap and you can take the aisle seat," I compromised. Without over thinking anything, I climbed into Edward's lap and leaned against the wall of the plane. Edward had the window seat and Jake was getting settled into the one next to me.

It felt right to be sitting with or, more accurately, on Edward. He wrapped his arm around me instinctively so I didn't slip off onto the floor. He kissed my cheek sweetly and I could've swooned at his sweetness. I would have collapsed, but I knew I'd be mocked mercilessly by Jake and the rest of the team. I pulled my mind away from Edward and focused it on the chess board set up in front of Jake.

"You ready to lose, Jakey-poo?" I taunted. Jake's eyes narrowed.

"About as ready as you were when I threw you into the pool while you were fully clothed and you nearly drowned because you were chocking on water." This time, I was the one sending a glare.

"I've never forgiven you for that, Jacob Black."

"Didn't expect you to, _Coach_," he teased unnecessarily.

"If you don't start playing now, I may kill you before we even start the game." My threat was not an idle one. Without another snappy remark, Jake began the game.

Really, Jake had no hope of winning. I never told him this, but his weakness was that he always kept his pieces lumped together. He never took the chance and spread them across the board. It was a big mistake. If you spread the pieces out and move them forward, you have a better chance of surrounding your opponent. This was something Jake never grasped. It only took me ten minutes to have him corned.

"Check mate," I said with a smirk.

"That's not fair! I thought I was getting better," Jake argued pointlessly. He'd lost and he knew it. "I demand a rematch."

"Bring it."

And so the game went on. Jake tried a different opening move, but that wasn't his problem. A couple minutes into it and I had both his bishops, three pawns, and a rook. I tried not to mock Jake's chess playing skills too much out loud, because he was actually quite good when playing others. But I'd played with him for years and knew his playing style better than he did.

"You're amazingly smart and strategic, love," Edward whispered in my ear. I started a little. I'd almost forgotten Edward was there, which is pretty sad because I was sitting on him.

"Thanks," I said. I turned enough to kiss his cheek quickly before returning my eyes to the chess board. I made my move quickly while Jake took his time studying the board. I studied the board too, don't get me wrong. I just…took in everything a lot quicker than Jake did.

My breathing caught as Edward tightened his hold on my waist. I felt him lean forward before I felt his breath on my neck. At first I thought he was going to whisper something in my ear again, but instead he kissed the back of my neck softly. It was light, but still captured all of my attention. His nose skimmed along my exposed skin as he brought his head up so he could kiss the sensitive hollow behind my ear. I shivered involuntarily and gripped the armrest tightly. I felt Edward smile against my neck before kissing the same spot, which elicited the same response.

"Bella, it's your turn," Jake said. His voice made my eyes fly open and my mind remember my surroundings. Anger flared up in me and I turned around to slap Edward's shoulder.

"You wanted to distract me so Jake could win!" I accused loudly. Jake looked thoroughly confused and Edward, to my great annoyance, starting laughing. He wasn't even going to _pretend _to be sorry. "Well, it's not going to work," I huffed before turning my back to Edward and studying the board.

I tried my hardest to focus and quickly found Jake's last move. Wow, it was stupid. Did he now see my knight right- Oh. The sly dog! He wanted me to think it was a stupid move so that I'd move my knight to capture his queen, which would put him in checkmate. He was betting on me not seeing his bishop, which was on the complete opposite side of the board. I smirked and moved my rook instead of my knight. I saw Jake's face fall and my smile grew more pronounced. I wasn't happy about beating Jake, but about my own triumph. I hadn't been as distracted as Edward had planned.

Maybe I was finally growing a backbone where Edward was concerned.

"I'm sorry. He's trying so hard to win, but I realize it was wrong to take advantage of you the way I did," he apologized sincerely. He put his hand under my chin and turned my face so that I had no choice but to look at him. He kissed my forehead chastely and I felt my resolve waver. "Will you forgive me?" he whispered softly, begging with his eyes and his voice.

"Of course, but we're having a talk when we get to the hotel." I said the last part sternly, trying to retain some pride. I don't know why I was so bothered by what he'd done. I loved being close to him, but…I was still pretty upset over something. I'd have to think about it at the hotel. Right now, I had a game of chess to win.

I won that chess game and the five rematches that followed.

EPOV

I walked into the hotel suite that I would be sharing with Bella and dropped my bag by the bed farthest from the door. Billy decided that, if we were living together, he might as well let us share a hotel room. I turned around and took Bella's bags out of her hands before carefully setting them by the empty bed.

Bella, without uttering a word, catapulted onto the bed and buried her face in the soft pillows. Finally, she spoke.

"My favorite part of hotels, hands down, is the beds. Seriously, why wasn't the bed I grew up in this soft and fluffy?" Her voice was muffled by the pillows and I grinned at her antics.

"I don't know," I said, playing along. I sat cross-legged at the end of the bed and just looked at her. After a few moments of peaceful silence, she sat up and adjusted herself so that she could lean up against the pillows and look at me. When she didn't speak, I said, "So, you wanted to talk to me in the hotel?"

"Let me think about what exactly I want to say, and I'll get back to you tomorrow," she smirked playfully and I let it go. I knew we had to go to sleep early because of the game tomorrow, so I decided it would be best to stay in the hotel room for the rest of the night.

"OK. I don't know about you, but I'm beat. Do you want first or second shower?" I asked, giving her the choice.

"I'll go first, if you don't mind. I hate when showers are wet before I get in." Well, we all have our quirks. She grabbed her PJs and walked into the bathroom, leaving me to stare at the ceiling. I had nearly dozed off when my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered in a groggy voice.

"Edward! How are you? How was the flight?" Mom asked quickly and in her signature excited manner.

"I'm fine, Mom. The flight was long but I had fun watching Jacob and Bella play chess." Speaking of Bella, she stepped out of the bathroom, a gust of steam coming out behind her. She began towel drying her hair while simultaneously pulling on a pair of socks. I nearly laughed out loud as Bella stumbled and blushed adorably.

"Who won?"

"Who do you think? Bella kicked his ass." Mom's laughter floated through the speaker and Bella looked up curiously.

"Of course she did. I actually called to talk to Bella, if you don't mind. Is she available?" she asked politely.

"She's right here," I said, passing the phone to Bella as she plopped herself next to me on the bed. She situated herself between the pillows and my arm before speaking into the phone.

"Hey Esme. What's up? That sounds great. How about…the day after Edward and I get back? I haven't gone on a double date since my freshman year of college. Of course I'll get him to come, don't worry. See you then, Esme. Goodnight." She hung up and put the phone on the bedside table. I wrapped my arm around her waist and she buried her face into the crook of my neck.

"What was that about?"

"We're going on a double date with Carlisle and Esme to see the Seattle Orchestra when we get back home. I think it'll be fun," Bella said.

"Sure, but a double date with my _parents_?"

"Edward, it'll be fun." She kissed my neck quickly but it captured all of my attention.

"Fine, but I still think it'll be awkward," I said, giving in. What can I say? I'm a push over.

"You're being over dramatic. I think it'll be fun. Your parents are really cool and you should be glad we're not going on a double date with my parents. _That_ would be awkward." Ooh. She's right.

The only thing worse than going on a double date with my parents would be going with Bella's.

BPOV

"Edward, get up," I whispered, shaking him.

"What?" he murmured before turning over and crushing me underneath him. He instinctively buried his face in my hair.

"Edward, I have to go to the lobby now and you have to be there in ten minutes. Get up!" I yelled the last part into his ear, but all he did was pull me closer. I shivered but forced myself to focus.

"Good mornin'! Good mornin'! It's time to start the day-" I sang at the top of my lungs before Edward's lips managed to stop all sound. I let him kiss me for a second before pushing him back a couple of inches.

"Really, we have to go," I almost screamed at him in an attempt to wake him up with my loud voice. Finally, he rolled off of me and stretched dramatically.

"I'm only getting up because I'm awake enough to remember that Billy will kick my ass if I'm late," he muttered as he dug blindly through his suitcase.

"Meet me in the lobby in five minutes." I hurried out of the room and into the elevator. The elevator music was actually not cheesy jazz, but calming classical music. I hopped out at the bottom floor and didn't have to search very long to find the group of six foot tall men huddled by the breakfast buffet.

"Coach! I saved you two chocolate chip muffins!" Emmett yelled from across the lobby. My face burned a bright red as I hurried over to the table where Jasper, Emmett, Jake, and Embry. Emmett moved his legs off of the chair that he'd obviously been saving for me and shoved two muffins on a napkin towards me.

"Are you about to ask for money, Emmett? Thanks and all, but what's up?" I asked cautiously. Emmett was acting strangely and that scared me, to be perfectly honest.

"Is it a crime to be nice to someone?" he said, appearing to be outraged. His eyes twinkled mischievously.

"No, but considering it's you we're talking about, it is a cause of some concern." He just smiled pleasantly. I sighed and decided to take my chances with the muffins. I picked it up carefully, treating it as gingerly as I would a bomb. I brought it toward my mouth slowly and, when I looked up, I noticed the four pairs of eyes staring at me intently. I winked and nibbled on the side of the muffin.

Nothing.

Nothing exploded, nothing horrible happened, he hadn't slipped jalapeños in the breakfast food, and I didn't see any white Anthrax powder peaking out from the middle of a chocolate chip. I took a bigger bite, however, and noticed something tasted a little off. I took another bite before I lost it. I started laughing so hard that my abs started to ache.

"Emmett, did you slip _salt_ in my muffin?" Emmett shrugged, still staring at me. Obviously, this wasn't the reaction he had wanted. "That's funny and just…harmless! I thought you were trying to poison me with some kind of chemical warfare substance, but instead I got a little bit of _salt _in my food!"

"I thought you said she would start yelling! I thought I was going to get a good laugh out of this, but instead Bella is the one laughing. King of pranks my left buttock," Jake said, shaking his head in a disappointed manner.

"How was I supposed to know that she would be in an abnormally good mood this morning?" Emmett said defensively.

"Sorry I ruined your rep Emmett, but I have a feeling that today is the day we really make ourselves known and kick some ass." I had stopped laughing enough to stand up on my chair. I looked around and saw about sixty Seahawk players and a smattering of families eating at the surrounding tables.

"Who's ready to beat some Panthers?" I yelled, letting my voice reach the corners of the hotel lobby.

"We are, Coach!" the team yelled back in a military style.

"I hate cats!" Embry screamed with extra vigor. I turned to stare at him. "I'm allergic," he said, looking down at the table.

Ah, of course. That would explain his hatred of giant, black, foreign, jungle cats.

* * *

**AN: This chapter is just some fluff, but I promise a game and a little action in the next one. And...I know. I'm late. Epically. I've had band, and history day, and a whole bunch of crap. That's the only way I can describe it: crap. I hope that everyone is still enjoying the updates...when they come (hides her face sheepishly)**

**FUNFACT: I'm doing the Church of England for my History Day project and...I'M ACTUALLY SUPER EXCITED! Ok, nerd moment over, but this year, I think I can actually enjoy history day.**

**Thanks to my wonderful Beta, Music ADD, for being patient with me, even though she hasn't been editing a lot because I've been trying to post these chapter as soon as I can. Thanks for reading and I love reveiws, Emma**


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